Something More
by Miss Lacking Personality
Summary: Because nobody's truly satisfied. Because we all expect more from life and make empty promises to make it better. In the end, though, it's nothing but a load of crap. That's why I was given a new chance at life. That's why I've decided that no matter what, I will become a ninja - one that everyone will remember. That's why I want more.
1. 2012

The wind blew harshly outside and scraped against the brick-walled houses. Every door was shut and locked; every window was boarded up tightly. The sun was nowhere to be seen and the whole world was in darkness. No one dared to open the lights or start a fire, fearing the elements will turn on them.

I sat down on the living room floor with my family as we clutched onto the blankets and quilts. Any source of warmth would be welcome now. Today is December 21st, 2012. I never thought this would actually happen. People talked of the world ending today but we didn't really think much of it. I mean, my uncle even made a joke about ants ruling the world one day after us during some important dinner I couldn't be bothered to remember now. Our friends and family were skeptical until just about a week ago. Strange things started to happen.

On the first day, people began to collapse onto the streets. Perfectly healthy people, the ones that are _actually _healthy began dying in front of our very eyes. I'm actually glad I'm not _that_ healthy now. My sister and I have always had a… slight weight problem. Okay, not so slight. It's more like we just managed to escape obesity. Besides my weight problems, I also had skin problems. My sister, Electra, has some anger issues. My family isn't the healthiest bunch either. My father has diabetes and my mother gets sick very easily. She claims it's because Electra and I stole all her good stuff. I guess it makes sense, but I'm pretty sure I'm brilliant on my own. My grandmother has eyes, legs, pretty much problems in every organ. My grandfather is probably the healthiest out of us all. The only problem he has is high cholesterol. I'm not too sure about my uncles and cousins since I don't contact with them anymore, but I really hope they're still alive and well.

I was at school like any typical student that day, it was a Friday. I got to tell you, it wasn't my _best _Friday. I had just arrived to school and sat down in the auditorium like I was supposed to. Electra sat down next to me, not by choice but because she had to. The students had to sit on the next available seat and if you skip even one, then you get held behind and will most likely end up late to class. Let me tell you, that's something I want to avoid. I just took off my coat and my eyes were already searching for any sign of my best friend, Fantine. She usually arrived before me, but she started getting lazy right after Thanksgiving. When I saw her head stuck behind a book, as usual, I sighed and peaked over at Electra. She was refusing to talk to me from the argument we had this morning about socks. When the bell rang, we all got up and exited in an "orderly" fashion. Translation: everyone began to scream and push. The only way I managed to survive through that was by simply walking away from it. They're all idiots with the exception of a few. There were three exits; the other two just required more walking. Electra and I calmly walked to the second exit and were greeted by Fantine.

"Hey An."

"Hello, Fan." We walked silently to our next class. Electra is about a year younger than me but in the same grade as me. When I moved to middle school, the guidance counselor made a mistake and placed Electra in the same class as me. When she realized her mistake, instead of changing it, she advised her to join this program that'll allow her to skip a grade. I had helped her study and finally she passed. We stepped into the classroom right when the clock turned eight. That was when people began dropping dead… literally.

The second day wasn't better. It was filled with natural disasters. We live in New York City. A tornado occurred in the Bronx, a hurricane in New Jersey, earthquake in Manhattan and Queens, and a tsunami on Staten Island. It was Saturday, my relaxing day, when I suddenly felt the ground shake violently. Things began to fall and break. I grabbed Electra and brought her under the door frame, where I knew would be our greatest chance of survival.

We went to church on Sunday and everything was fine. I was finally at peace, at least until I stepped out. There was this horrid smell and I quickly held my breath. I had pushed everyone else back into the church and watched in horrid as people on the street began to turn green and transform into different creatures. I ran back inside and didn't dare peak out again. The only thing I saw was an old hobo growing hair as thick as a bear's in a matter of seconds. His eyes glazed and then turned blank. The mendicant's nose grew long and his thin lips lost their color before turning into a beak. When he opened his mouth, his teeth were still yellow and rotten but sharp like knives. His thin arms that were covered with hair shriveled and shrank until they were nothing but two bumps at the side. We spent the whole day hiding at the church until around 3 in the morning where we ran to the car by throwing random stuff at the monsters.

We were forced to go back to school on Monday and saw that more than half of our class didn't come to school. I was glad to see Fan was there with Electra and me. We were on the other side of the hallway when we suddenly saw one of the teachers grow _fangs _and _bit _into a student's neck. Don't get me wrong. The three of us were huge fans of vampires. Fan pretty much read it all. Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy, Twilight Series and a lot more but when we saw the blood dripping down the pale neck and heard the poor sixth grader's scream, well, we did nothing except we ran. Like. Hell. The speaker suddenly turned on and more screams in the background was heard.

The three of us grabbed our stuff and ran. I was never much of an athlete but I can and would do anything if my life depended on it. People – vampires – were right behind us, chasing us. Thinking fast, I ran over to a dead body. I bit my tongue and picked up the dead body. I threw it at the group of vampires and ran without looking back. We got home and shut the door tightly.

The impossible became possible in only one week. Everything grew out of control. Some of my friends died from dehydration. Some were afraid to drink a sip of water and others reacted terribly to tap water. My family was lucky that we kept a lot of bottled water around. That was the only water that was safe. We didn't want to risk it so we never drank too much. The ground outside our home crumbled from the slightest touch. The plants in Flushing grew out of control and would strangle anything living nearby to death. Sometimes they even picked fights with other plants. Home was the only safe place. I didn't dare to go out and so far nothing has happened.

I sighed quietly to myself as my mother leaned closer to me. I thought of everything that happened the past day and wondered if today was the day I'll die.

"It'll be okay, Linan." My mother spoke in Chinese with her clear voice. Fear and anxiety was laced between the words. I squeezed her cold, frail fingers and smiled.

"My poor children. Electra's only 13 and you're 15." She whispered.

"14." I muttered to myself, but apparently everyone heard.

"What?" My mother asked in a bewildered voice.

"I'm only 14, Mama." I answered. She didn't say anything else and we all sat in silence. I glanced at my working clock and closed my eyes. It was a quarter past 11:00. According to the scientists, or whoever studying this stuff for the past month, the entire human race will be wiped out by midnight.

_So, only 45 minutes left to live, huh?_ I smiled to myself at the sad thought. I used to wonder about death, even debating how I would like to die. My whole family sat there on the floor, holding each other in silence. There was only one thing I was certain of. I had planned this out years ago. Right before I die, I wanted to remember my whole life. There I sat on the cold and hard wooden floors as I jogged my memory. I closed my eyes and saw my earliest memory of the lights then to the day Electra was born. I continued to my first tooth falling off, my first time swimming, lying, failing, crying in front of public, my first 100 on a test, my first time having a friend. I smiled at the pleasant memory and forced it to stay on when I remembered how she backstabbed me. I knew people didn't think much of me in elementary school. I was another normal kid and nothing special would ever happen to me. I had sworn to myself in second grade that I would be somebody. I'm in 8th grade now, middle school. My grades are fantastic but that's the only thing people think of when they hear the name Linan.

"An, An! Wake up! Are you dead? Don't die on me, woman!" My eyes snapped open at the shaking and the familiar voice of Electra.

"What?" I whispered. _Why was I whispering?_ I cleared my throat and focused on Electra. The frightened look on her face disappeared and she sighed in relief.

"Good, you didn't die. We only have about 5 more minutes." I glanced at the clock and saw that there was indeed only 5 minutes left.

_**Bang! Bang!**_

We froze and glanced at each other. No one dared to move and suddenly the door was kicked open. Two middle-aged men ran inside. I stood up quickly and everyone behind me followed my action. I breathed in a shaky breath and slowly took a step back. _One step at a time_. My grandmother took a step back but lost her balance. I turned around and my eyes widened. I ran towards her and held her up. While running to her, a water bottle was knocked over. The sound of it hitting the floor echoed inside my head. My head slowly turned and saw the two men standing in front of us. In their hands was a gun. A click was heard as one of them pulled the trigger. A bullet was shot directly across us as a warning.

"Don't move." His gruff voice warned.

"Put your hands up!" He ordered loudly after he was certain we were all pretty much cowering from fear. I swallowed and quickly followed his orders without hesitation. The other man walked around us and I watched as he made his way into my room. After a few seconds that seemed like eternity, he walked out with two things, Electra's laptop and mine. My laptop was still on from about two weeks ago. I was going to close it but I never did, fearing that I might need it.

"W-why are you guys robbing us?" I asked quietly. I quickly regretted my words when I saw the tightening of his finger on the trigger, this time pointed at me. If I was going to die, I'd prefer not to feel any pain. I wasn't sure since it was so dark, but I had a feeling he just smirked.

"It's our last night alive. Might as well get wild and, ya know, rob some people. Maybe we'll even – "

"Kill people? Why would you do that? If you're religious, which I'm assuming you are, wouldn't you want to go to heaven?" I interrupted him quickly. The other man's eyes narrowed and he took a step towards me.

"Shut up." He raised his hand and placed it on my mouth as he tried to suffocate me. My mouth opened but my lungs couldn't find air. I bit his hand without thinking and watched as he pulled back.

"Son of a bitch! Kill her!" The man screamed loudly. The man holding the gun jumped at the outburst and tried to aim. I pushed the man away from me and took steps back. I could see something colorful at the corner of my eye. I turned my head towards it and saw everyone follow my gaze. The man held out the gun again and a shot rang through the air. The bullet shot straight towards where my heart would be, but it never hit. I looked down and watched in wonder as my figure began shining just like everything else around me. My body began disappearing and everything went black.

_I hope everyone else is safe…_


	2. Becoming Shinobi

**I do not own _Naruto_ or any of the characters because it belongs to the genius known as Masashi Kishimoto. I do, however, own my OCs.**

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><p><em>I hope everyone else is safe…<em>

_I… I hear birds singing._ My eyes twitched before they fluttered open. I quickly shut them when I saw the sudden bright light. It burned my eyes and I could feel a few tiny specks of tears threatening to escape at the side. I didn't move for a couple of seconds before I slowly opened my eyes again. After staring upward for quite a while, I was finally able to collect my thoughts together. It was then I realized that I was staring up at the clear blue sky. I was lying down on what appeared to be fresh green grass. Another wonder! I wasn't being strangled or anything. I sat up and continued to look around.

The sight around me was peaceful and I felt myself relax, something I haven't done in a long time. I have never been here my whole life, yet the sight seemed very familiar. I sighed quietly to myself and stretched. My neck cracked quietly as I rolled it around. I placed my hand beside me and saw another figure there. Turning around, I saw my entire family lying on the ground. A small smile crept onto my face when I heard the soft snores of Electra followed by the giant snores of my father and grandfather.

My smile disappeared as my thoughts continued to process rather slowly. That's when I realized that although I felt at peace, it was still dangerous. We were all lying here, vulnerably, in the middle of nowhere! My hand reached up towards my mouth. I had a habit of biting my index finger when I was confused, nervous, or overwhelmed. I don't know why, maybe it was the pain that helped me think. I stopped when I realized there was something covering my face. Both of my hands reached up to touch my face before I looked down to see myself. I was still in my t-shirt and sweats.

_**Bang!**_

My eyes widened when I remembered that I was shot. I looked down again and searched for any signs of blood or injury. There was nothing, nothing at all. I looked at my legs and frowned. My skin was usually dry, but now it was… hydrated. It didn't glow, still pale but it wasn't chapped anymore. I fingered a strand of my hair and saw that it was the same. My hair was still straight, silky and soft, but now it was thicker. Even when my hair was fine, I still loved it. It was always my best feature, at least I thought so. It seemed to be the only thing someone would comment about besides my grades. I looked down again just to be sure and my eyes widened. I can't believe I didn't see it until now! My stomach was flat. I wasn't the fat girl I used to be. Where did the pile of fat disappear to? _What happened?_

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Electra groan. Slowly, I turned around and waited for them to awake. I watched as everyone else began to awake from their slumber. Electra stretched and groaned again. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked at me. She blinked a couple of times and then continued to rub her eyes. I couldn't help but smile at her reaction.

"An? Is that you?" I nodded slowly and I watched as her eyes grew from her normal size to about the size of a large cobble. Now that I look at it, her eyes have gotten larger. I wonder if mine has too. Electra was always the pretty one, but no one believed me because she used to weigh more than me. Now that I closely examine her, I know it was true. Electra resembles my mother while everyone said I looked like my father. My mother was a beautiful woman with thin, petite features. Her dark eyes and hair framed her pale oval face perfectly. My mother has always been thin, so naturally she never had weight issues. My father, on the other hand, wasn't the most handsome man. He had a round face and a stout figure. From afar, my father would look like a circle.

Electra's looks have exceeded even mother's. Electra is taller and instead of the same dark hair and dark eyes, she had a lighter shade of hair and eyes. It was coffee-colored. Under the sunlight, her hair was like caramel. Her hair was wavy, and when she combed through it, it ran down smoothly. Her skin has a more natural glow and is a shade tanner than mine. I have dark hair, dark eyes and a pale face. Before coming here, people were convinced I had a round face. They had, more than once, commented on my face resembling a plate.

"Linan, where are we?" My father asked as he stood up and dusted himself.

"I don't know." My voice was drowned out by the sound of a twig snapping. My head automatically turned to the source of the sound. I watched as four people came out wearing strange clothing. They appeared to be in a group, each wearing a porcelain mask that covers their face. Each person had a different animal mask with different designs. They wore the same uniform consisting of black and gray armor, metal arm guards and gloves, sandals, pouches on their back and waist, and a tattoo on their shoulder.

"An?" Electra whispered quietly behind me. I turned my head slightly but kept my eyes on the group slowly approaching.

"What?" I hissed back. Her eyes were wide and full of wonder. I watched as she slowly took in everything around her.

"T-this place, doesn't it seem familiar?" I nodded and tried to understand what she was saying. It had to be serious. Electra almost never stutters.

"Didn't we see this on TV?" She looked at me expectantly but continued when I gave her a confused look.

"…or in _mangas_?" Realization hit me. I froze and turned back to the man that was now right in front of us.

_Naruto_

"State your identity and your purpose." The ANBU I assume is in charge demanded from my father. It was strange. He had said it in Japanese, yet we all understood it. I eyed the weapons on their back and swallowed.

"I am Sima Phil. This is my family here." My father replied fluently in Japanese. He had studied the Japanese culture and language ever since he was a child, so it's no surprise to any of us that he would be the one speaking for us all. Although his voice was even, I knew him well enough to know that he was nervous. His breathing was even but forced, as if he was concentrating hard on just making it normal. His hands were relaxed but his shoulders were tense. I watched as he turned around and indicated each one of us individually.

"This is my wife, Liz. My oldest daughter, Linan. My second and youngest daughter, Electra. My mother-in-law and my father-in-law, Eliza and Paul, respectively." The ANBU's eyes followed my father's hand and nodded in understanding, but otherwise said nothing.

"And your purpose?" A female voice intruded. My eyes turned to look at the ANBU with a cat porcelain mask.

"We don't know how we ended up here. My family was attacked by two thieves. We all blacked out and when we woke up, we ended up here." Father answered honestly even though it may sound a little farfetched. I couldn't tell if they believed us or not. They didn't interrupt us during our explanation and it's not like we could see their expression. They whispered to each other before finally coming up with a decision.

"We are going to need to bring you back to the village for safety precautions. If we see that you may be a threat to our village, we will not hesitate to kill you." The third man spoke from behind me after a minute of silence. They didn't give us a chance to respond. Instead, they took out their swords and pointed it to us. My father swallowed fearfully and nodded. The leader walked ahead and the others followed closely behind us. I was the last person in the line and could feel their intense glares burning into my back. I felt the point of the sword pressed against me a couple of times but made no sound and showed no fear. It was strange; I didn't panic even though I was fully aware of their ability to kill us all in just one swipe.

We continued to walk for I don't know how long. Finally the one in front stopped walking. I looked up and saw that we have, indeed, arrived at the gate of _Konoha_. The two wooden green doors were wide open in a welcoming state. At the top, I could see the leaf symbol painted clearly, surrounded by the two _kanji_ meaning _shinobi, or ninja. _I stumbled slightly when the female ANBU pushed me forward roughly.

_Geez, who broke up with her this morning?_

I managed not to fall face first and took my first step inside the village. It was just as I expected. The streets were bustling with life and people. Unlike the streets of New York City, though, the majority of the people seemed friendly and would shoot out a smile or two.

"Who are they?" Kotetsu, the spiky-haired guard asked. The leader of the ANBU gave him a look before disappearing in a puff of smoke. The others followed in suit, leaving us with the two chunin level shinobi, Kotetsu and Izumo.

"So, care to explain who you are?" Izumo sneered rather rudely. I couldn't stand that look on his face, as if we were inferior to them.

"We would prefer to explain in front of the Hokage. It would save us both time and breath." I replied quietly. My family stared at me in shock. I was confused until I realized I had replied all that in Japanese and it seems my accent was perfect. Izumo's eyes narrowed at my statement.

"How do you know about the Hokage?" He asked suspiciously. I gave him an apathetic look.

"Konoha is one of the five great nations. Are you honestly surprised that we know about the great Hokage respected by all? Even I, a naïve child heard of the superior man." I answered with a respected tone. I wasn't sure if I overdid it, but at the softening of their expression, I could tell they bought it. Electra, on the other hand, was trying to stifle her laughter. My parents stared at me in shock.

_Man, they've been doing that a lot lately._

"Come then." The two said simultaneously and turned at the same time.

"Creepy…" Electra murmured. It seems that we were all able to communicate in Japanese.

* * *

><p>We walked into the Hokage building and waited for the leader of the village to see us. It didn't take too long and we were quickly led into the room. There were four chairs, perfect for my parents and grandparents. Electra and I stood in the back. The two ninja that escorted us whispered the situation into the Third Hokage's ears. I watched as he nodded and turn his wrinkly, yet kind, face towards us. He took a breath and exhaled the smoke he breathed in into the air. Electra and I wrinkled our noses, not liking the smell.<p>

"Hey, old man, don't you know smoking's bad for your lungs?" Electra exclaimed without thinking. Her eyes widened and so did everyone else's. She quickly looked down to avoid our parent's critical gaze.

"I am sorry for my daughter's –"My father tried to apologize but stopped at the Third's raised hand.

"It's fine." The Hokage smiled at us and stood up.

"So, I heard you wanted to tell me your situation?" He glanced at my mother and father. Father cleared his throat and turned to me.

"I'm sure Linan here can explain it better than I can. She always had a way with words."

"Alright, Linan, you explain." The old man turned to look at me. I smiled softly even though my face was covered with the mask, but I'm sure he saw the uplifting of my cheeks.

"An, call me An. My family was attacked by two thieves. I don't remember much, but I know we blacked out. When we woke up, we encountered those men who brought us to this village before disappearing. We were then led to your room by those two kind sirs over there. I'm sure you already know all this, of course." His face stayed the same as he examined me.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Those men were just in your office before us and I'm sure they told you about our encounter." His eyebrows rose at my bold statement.

"I can tell because when the secretary told us to wait, I saw the shadows of four figures through the bottom of the door. Those shadows matched the ones of the four people that brought us here. I was able to conclude they told you about us because I can see the report on your desk right now." I watched as the corners of his thin lips twitched upward. He turned around without another word and sat back down.

"I believe you. Based on your predicament, I trust you need a place to stay?" My parents and grandparents glanced at each other before they all nodded.

"That's fine. We can provide you with food, shelter, money and all other necessities on one condition. Your daughters need to become Konoha shinobi." I froze at the last request.

_No, no, no. _

All my life I had wanted to become a doctor because I wanted to _save_ lives. Being a ninja may sound cool and everything but there's no doubt killing is involved.

"A shinobi, explain what they do." My mother whispered as she glanced back towards Electra and me.

"Shinobi are the people who protect this village."

"Does this occupation involve… killing?"

"Yes." He answered bluntly. I watched as my mother released the lungful of air she was holding.

"What do you guys think?" She turned to Electra. I could tell by the red in her cheeks and the sudden brightening of her mood that my sister was excited about this.

"I say yes." She answered without even thinking it through. Mother turned to look at me while I stared at father's reaction. His eyes met mine and I could tell that this time I had to choose on my own. I breathed in slowly and considered the pros and cons.

_Killing is against my morals, but I can't just let Electra be in this on her own. If I accept, I will not only be there to support Electra but also provide my family everything we need. It can't be that bad, can it? I could always become a medical-ninja. Plus, this whole thing does sound cool._

"I've decided …"

"Yes! She'll be a shinobi."

A punch. That's what it felt like right now. I felt like I was just punched in the gut. Father had interrupted me. He interrupted me in a decision that affects my whole life. I breathed in a shallow breath through my nose and slowly blew it out.

_H-he thought I was going to say no. He didn't respect my decisions…_

"Perfect! Their training will start tomorrow. Uchiha Shisui will show you to your new home." A breeze flew into the room despite the closed windows. I took a step forward towards my grandmother when I felt another presence behind me. Grandmother stood up and grasped my cold fingers. Her warmth was nice.

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" The smooth and cool voice of Shisui spoke in a monotone.

"Show them to their new home." Shisui straightened from his bow and walked forward to take the address of our new home. He glanced at the paper and nodded. He lifted his animal mask away from his face and turned to face my mother and father.

He had short black unruly hair with dark eyes that had markings around them that were turned upwards at each end. Unlike the manga had described him, his nose wasn't that broad. He did wear the standard Uchiha outfit. He had a dark shirt with the Uchiha symbol at the back of his shirt. The symbol was a fan that was red and white. The red covered the top half and the white on the bottom half of the fan. His pants were normal ninja pants and he wore the standard ninja sandals.

"Follow me." He was polite enough and didn't demand it from us. He said it in a more respected tone, as if he was requesting us to do so. I snapped out of my daze and did something I rarely do.

"Wait!" I exclaimed.

_Crap! Now everyone's staring at me! Stupid!_

I cleared my throat uncomfortably when everyone turned to stare at me. My head dropped and suddenly I found the floor very interesting.

_Huh, I never noticed that blood stain there. Probably from some stupid ninja that lost too much blood and decided to drop dead here when they forgot where the hospital was. _

I mentally smacked myself at the terrible thought.

_It's probably the blood of a brave hero who sacrificed himself (or herself) to save his (or her) beloved village. _

"I just wanted to ask… do you know a man named Kishimoto Masashi?" I looked up to see the Third narrow his eyes and open up a few drawers. He took out a file and flipped through it.

"Yes, I do. He came here about ten years ago during a…certain incident and then left. We don't know what happened to him. Every nation went searching for him but it was as if… he just disappeared from this world. Why do you ask?" I could feel the tension in the air and it was suffocating me.

"No reason. It was just that a while back, I heard two men mentioning his name. Curiosity got the better of me and when I tried to find out more about him, no one would tell me anything. I just remembered it right now." I didn't dare to relax too much even when the old man nodded in understanding. I wasn't stupid. I know Shisui was staring at me intently, looking for a sign that I was lying.

"If there are no more questions, then you may leave now."

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><p>"So… I am Uchiha Shisui. If I remember correctly, you are the Sima family?" he asked politely. He glanced at me and then at Electra. We nodded and he turned around.<p>

"We'll probably be seeing each other around. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" He suggested. His tone was casual but the look in his eyes said otherwise. He was trying to _read_ us with his _Sharingan_. I narrowed my eyes slightly at the bright red color. His eyes had been a dark onyx color before he blinked. When his eyes reopened, they were a crimson red with the three black _tomoes_.

"I'm Linan but I would prefer you call me An like everyone else. This is my sister, Electra. My parents and grandparents are behind me." I introduced quickly and quietly. He didn't say anything for a while, as if he was expecting more information.

"Anything else?" He finally said and broke the silence I was enjoying.

"You only gave us your name." He smirked at my response before turning off his sharingan. They returned to their natural dark gray color but I didn't react. Shisui, one of the most talented Uchiha, was skilled enough to pick up on such a small detail even without his sharingan. The conversation ended at that and no one tried to start a new one.

"Well, we have arrived at your new home." He said at last. Everyone looked up and their eyes widened. I finally looked up and saw what caused everyone's response. Our new home was far better than anything I had expected. It was grand and elegant with a welcoming feeling. The design of the home could be interpreted two ways – to welcome or to intimidate. It looked like a traditional Japanese house. It had the triangular roof, the sliding doors, the whole nine yards. It was a sight I couldn't explain.

"I take it that you like your place to stay?" Shisui asked in an amused tone.

"It's fantastic, thank you." My father replied. He walked up the four steps and opened the doors. We followed him and walked inside. I don't know if I had been expecting an empty house or not, but the furniture was already there. I was never good at decorating and never had an interest in "designers" or whatever. All I cared was that it was comfortable, but even I had to admit the person that did all this was a genius. I was vaguely aware of Shisui disappearing in a puff of smoke at the corner of my eye, but I didn't care. While everyone else was still staring at the place in awe, I walked around and tried to memorize where everything was.

The first place I went to was the kitchen where the refrigerator stood proudly. I swear, at that moment, everything turned dark and the fridge was the only thing on the single spotlight. I heard the angels singing in the background, telling me to walk forward. Slowly and dramatically, I walked forward. When my fingers wrapped itself around the handle, ready to pull the door open, I couldn't help but shake at the anticipated moment. Even though I wanted to savor the moment, the door was quickly flung open. I gasped at the sight and felt the tears coming but never dropped. The fridge was… **EMPTY!**

"No… NOOOO!" I whispered before screaming at the top of my lungs. I felt my knees shaking and suddenly I was kneeling on the floor, clutching onto my tied back hair. I was so upset I didn't even hear the footsteps thundering into the kitchen. I didn't even look up when someone kneeled beside me.

"An! An! Answer me, dammit!"

"Language!" The voice of my mother hissed when Electra cussed.

"Sorry… anyway, An! What happened?" I slowly looked up to meet the face of my younger sister.

"T-the fridge!" My voice cracked and was barely audible.

"What?" Everyone leaned in to hear me but I just couldn't make out any other words. My hands were trembling but I managed to lifted them up and point at the fridge. Father walked up and opened it while mother lifted me up.

"What is it? There's nothing inside!" I gasped and breathed in slowly. It was bad enough looking at it, but to hear it… that was unbearable.

"Exactly! There is NOTHING INSIDE! It's empty!" I exclaimed. They looked at me with disbelief.

"Are you hungry?" My grandmother asked. I hesitated and thought about it for a minute.

"Well, no." They all sighed and shook their heads.

"What?"

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><p><strong>I want An to meet Itachi at least once before the massacre, so I'm going to change a few things around. Itachi is not going to kill his clan at age 13. I'm changing it to 15 because it's a bit more realistic and would help the plot move along. That is all.<strong>


	3. Bad News

**I do not own **_**Naruto**_** or any of the characters because it belongs to the genius known as Masashi Kishimoto. I do, however, own my OCs.**

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><p>It's official.<p>

No matter in what universe, school is and always will be boring. It was a very awkward morning. Electra and I woke up and walked into the Academy. We were supposed to learn there and after school, we were told we will receive extensive training.

"Linan!" My head snapped up and I looked at the sensei.

"Yes, sensei?" I asked quietly.

"Were you paying attention?" Everyone turned to look at me. Some had sympathetic expressions while others were smug. I could hear a few people behind me snickering. I know what they were thinking. They all thought Electra and I were idiots because we're so much older than them and still in the Academy. I ignored them and nodded.

"Okay then. Please tell me. What is chakra? We were just discussing it." He stood with his arms crossed and waited for me to reply. I opened my mouth, ready to answer when my eyes caught the books everyone had out. I glanced at the board, then at the book in the teacher's hands. I could see Electra shaking her head from the corner of my eye. Stupid man had decided to separate us.

"But sensei, we weren't learning about chakra. We were discussing… about the lack of discipline we receive. If you want, I can still give you an answer, though." His face flushed and I watched amusingly as he tried to recollect himself.

"Alright then, please tell me what it is." This man was testing me!

"Chakra is essential to even the most basic techniques. It's the molding of physical energy and spiritual energy. Physical energy is present in every cell of the body and spiritual energy can be gained from exercise and experience. Once molded, it can be channeled through the chakra circulatory, which is similar to what the veins are for the blood, but for chakra instead of blood. Chakra can then be transported to any chakra point of the body." The look of disbelief present on his face was priceless and told me that my explanation was correct. Man, am I glad I have such a wonderful memory that I remembered the explanation of chakra Sakura had given to her team. I watched Iruka-sensei admit defeat and sulk away. My face was calm and I bit my lips to stop myself from grinning wildly because that's sort of mean even if no one can see behind my mask. I narrowed my eyes when I felt someone staring at me. I turned around and met the wide eyes of

Uchiha

Sasuke.

I glanced at him before turning back around. I didn't want to get caught again for not paying attention in class.

* * *

><p>"How did you know we weren't learning about chakra?" Electra asked as we both walked out of the Academy.<p>

"The books everyone else had on their desks were anything but chakra. Plus, I saw you shaking your head." Electra frowned.

"I wasn't that obvious was I?" I shrugged and laughed quietly under my breath.

"No, I just trained myself to be aware of your every action. You know, so I know when you're using the bathroom, when your time of the month is, and when you decide to make out with your secret boyfriend that you have but refuse to tell anyone else." I pressed my lips together to stop the laughter when Electra nodded.

"Hey! I don't have a secret boyfriend!" She screeched loudly. Everyone around us turned to see what the commotion was.

"What are you looking at?" I sighed at Electra's uncontrolled anger.

"It's okay; I'll keep your secret." I whispered quietly as I leaned closer to her. She jumped slightly and grumbled to herself.

"I don't have a boyfriend." She muttered frustratingly and crossed her arms.

"Right…"

* * *

><p>"Why did <em>he <em>look at you?" Electra said the word _he_ with such distaste that there can only be one person in this world she was talking about right now.

"I don't know." Electra never liked Sasuke that much. I wasn't a big fan but I didn't hate him. Plus, I had to admit, little Sasuke is pretty cute. It's the older, revenge-crazed Sasuke I didn't like. Then again, I think everyone's cute when they were a child. Electra didn't try to start up another conversation, so the walk home was silent.

I placed my bag in the room and flipped through the books. They were all written in Japanese, but just as I magically spoke Japanese, it seems I also had the ability to write and read in Japanese. I wasn't complaining, it made completing homework that much simpler. Plus, there is more variety of books I can read now. I glanced at the clock. I had another half an hour to myself before our trainer gets here. I quickly emptied my bag. Might as well get some homework done!

I sighed as I checked my answers for the fourth time. The homework was pretty simple; it just took a lot of time because I didn't learn half of the stuff my class was already reviewing. Once I read through the books, though, I breezed through the whole thing. Glancing at the words one last time, I flung it towards my desk next to the windows. A quiet thud was heard and I slowly got up. I searched the floor first, expecting my homework to land there, scattered all over the room. When the floor was spotless, my eyes roamed around the room. I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my cheeks when I saw that my papers had actually landed on the table in one neat pile.

Everything in Konoha seems brighter. Even the air is more refreshing. I inhaled deeply and was about to fall back into bed when a bright yellow color caught my eye. I stood up and walked over to the corner of the room and saw that it was a yellow bag, one that I had never seen before. My eyes were glued to the bag and I continued staring at it. I don't know how much time had passed, but I finally decided to see what was inside. My hands reached out, just an inch away from touching the fabric when an earsplitting chorus of footsteps headed towards my room. The sound grew louder and faster. I turned towards my door and watched as my door was slammed open to reveal a frenzy Electra.

"What is it now?" I sighed. For the past hour, Electra had been trying to kill my door for simple things like a pencil, or to tell me mother's going shopping, or whatever crap she has to express.

"Our trainer is here!" Her eyes were wide and full of excitement.

"Yeah, so?" I walked past her and into the living room where a man a few years older than I stood.

"I'm Jun, your temporary trainer." He bowed and then stood up.

"What do you mean temporary?"

"You're going to have more than one trainer. I might not be teaching you tomorrow, or next week. It all depends on Hokage-sama's orders." He said casually. Both of our heads turned when Electra made her loud and embarrassing entrance. The girl was running so fast that she tripped on air and came crashing into the room, landing on her face.

"Ow! Oh, hey…" She said sheepishly.

"Hello, I'm Jun."

"Yeah, I'm Electra and this is my older sister An. So this is awesome and everything, but when can we start?" I blinked and suddenly I was dragged outside along with Jun. I glanced at him and saw that we both shared the same thoughts.

_This is going to be a long day._

* * *

><p>"So I hear from Iruka that you really know about chakra." Jun stated more than asked. He had meant to say it to the both of us, but it came out as if it was directed to me specifically.<p>

"Not really, just the basics. I only know the general information, not the details." I shrugged nonchalantly and sat down beneath a large tree when he indicated for us to sit. Electra sat down beside me.

"Alright, then we'll study… " I waited for him to continue but he just paused like that.

"Why did you stop talking in the middle of the sentence?" Electra asked after he didn't say anything else for a couple of minutes. She looked at me, hoping for an answer but I just shrugged. I was just as confused as her.

"Sorry, just trying to rouse up some suspense." He grinned sheepishly. His eyes were closed and he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"You failed." Electra said with a deep frown.

"Whatever. Anyway, we'll be studying chakra control today." I closed my eyes and ran through my memories. It was either the tree climbing or the standing on water training, then. My eyes opened again and I ignored Jun's raised eyebrows.

"We'll go by two training methods. One is walking on water and the other is climbing a tree without using your hands." I was right. I saw Electra smirk rather largely. It seems we came to the same conclusion.

"Who wants to do which?" Jun asked enthusiastically. Electra glanced at the trees around the training area and frowned. She then turned to the lake nearby and grimaced.

"I rather get wet than falling and dying." She murmured. My eyebrows rose at her not-so-quiet comment.

"Oh, so it's okay for _me_ to fall and die?" I tried to sound serious but I was sure a hint of amusement leaked from my voice.

"Well… yeah." Electra smiled sweetly at me, but I only frowned.

"You really hurt me with your words!"

"Bu – "

"It's too late! You can't make amends now. One day, when someone asks you 'What happened to your fantastic sister who had such a bright future?' Just know that my death is _your_ fault. _You_ killed_ me!_" I huffed dramatically and turned my head away. Jun was trying not to laugh, but failed miserably. He burst out laughing and we both turned to glare at him.

"And you! You're no better. My death will also be your fault because you were the one who suggested this training! If I die, you are just as responsible for it as Electra!" He froze and eyed me carefully.

"Death is a part of the life of a shinobi. You cannot escape it. I deal with it every single day, every minute and every second. If you die from falling from that tree, then you're not cut out to be a ninja." His voice was grave and stoic. I knew it was true and I just have to learn to accept it.

"True, but it's not like I chose this life. It's either this or we'll end up dying anyway from lack of food or whatever. I just have to deal with it now." My lips were pressed tightly together, forming a thin, straight line. I stood up and took a step back, eyeing the tree slowly. Electra silently walked over to the lake. Jun nodded and walked over to me.

"Focus on your chakra." He ordered. I breathed in and closed my eyes.

"I don't feel any." I replied after a while of just standing there.

"That's impossible. Don't you feel a source of energy running through you?" His voice was skeptical and harsh now.

"I really don't feel anything." My eyes snapped open when he roughly shook me.

"This is not a joke. Take it seriously." He ordered and glared.

"I'm not joking, I really feel nothing." My voice was low now. This was not a good time to make a smart-aleck comment. Jun's eyes narrowed and he grabbed my wrist roughly. I watched as he closed his eyes. I suddenly felt something new pulsing through my wrist. It _hurt_! I bit my lip to stop from whimpering. I could feel my skin tingling and my knees shaking as it grew weak. I suddenly felt itchy. When I tried to scratch myself with my free hand, I found that I couldn't feel anything, and it was still itchy! My arm that Jun was holding began going numb.

"S-stop! Stop now!" My voice was weak and my vision began blurring. I was about to fall when suddenly everything returned to normal. I breathed in the fresh oxygen slowly and saw that Electra had run towards us. She managed to separate Jun away from me. Jun was clutching onto his jaw and glaring at the both of us. Electra's eyes flashed and her hands were in tight fists.

"We're going to the Hokage _now_!" Jun stood up and stomped all the way to the Hokage's office. Electra turned to me and I nodded, assuring her I was fine. I could still see her worry but she didn't question me.

* * *

><p>"What is it, Jun? It's their first day training. What could they possibly have done wrong?" Jun frowned and glanced at me.<p>

"It's about them, actually." The Third stopped reading a report and looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't you check their chakra yourself?" The Third's frown deepened and he got up quicker than I had expected. He was sitting in his chair one second, and the next, he was standing right in front of me. I slowly extended my wrist before he could grab it. I watched as his fingers wrapped around my wrist. I gasped when I felt myself going weak again. It wasn't as long this time, and the nauseous feeling quickly disappeared when the Hokage released my wrist. He then walked towards Electra. I watched as he felt her forehead and quickly snatch his head away before Electra ended up like me.

"That's strange… Jun, go get their parents and Fugaku-san." Jun bowed and quickly disappeared. The Hokage turned to us and walked back to his chair.

"Why don't you sit until our guests arrive?" Electra and I grasped each other's hands tightly. At times like these, I was glad we still had each other.

* * *

><p>"What do you think, Fugaku-san?" The Hokage asked as Fugaku stared at us. His gaze kept switching from me to my sister.<p>

"It's strange; indeed, I have never seen anything like it." Fugaku's sharingan was on and he was staring at us –well, actually our chakra system.

"Can somebody please tell me what's going on?" Electra screamed and pulled on her hair in an act of frustration. The Third turned to stare at us before responding.

"Your chakra is strange. Electra, yours is relatively normal and you have an abundant amount, which is good. Your chakra is very strong and powerful. An, on the other hand, her situation is a bit more serious." He turned and looked at me with an expression I had never seen before.

"What is it?" I asked quietly. I wasn't sure why, but everyone seemed shocked to hear my voice.

"Your chakra… it's _solid_." I blinked and then blinked some more. I slowly let the words sink in.

"What?"

"Girl, your chakra is solid. Normal chakra should be flowing, like water. Yours, on the other hand, is like ice but not frozen. Your chakra is solid and not moving." Fugaku explained quickly in the stern voice of his.

"What can I do about it? Is it harmful?" It was silent for a while and I looked around the room, from person to person, hoping to find the answer.

"We don't know. This has never happened before. We tried to _force_ your chakra to flow, but your body reacts strangely to it. Your own chakra is pushing ours out. We can try to give you directions and hopefully you can… _melt_ your chakra." I nodded in understanding.

"We need your parents' permission before we could do anything." I turned to look at mother and father standing by the wall. Mother was clutching onto father's arm and she shook her head slowly.

"I don't know. Phil, you decide." She whispered. I knew why and it broke my heart to hear her voice. Mother was whispering to stop her voice from cracking which usually leads to her bursting into tears.

"Before you make a decision, you need to know that keeping her chakra in this state might harm An. She may die." I stood there, appearing to be unaffected by the news. Mother gasped and ran out of the room with Electra following, leaving only the four of us. Father walked up to me and hugged me tightly.

"Do what you can."

* * *

><p>My broken and bleeding form lay on the cold and dull cement floor. I pushed myself off of the floor and sat up. I crawled over to a wall and leaned on it, unable to support myself anymore. My eyes searched around the now empty room. I closed them and remembered what happened just a few minutes ago.<p>

_"It's no use. Nothing works and there is nothing else we could do."Fugaku reported to my father. I managed to look up, only to see his crushed face. His eyes were filled with sadness and another emotion I couldn't make out._

_"What do you propose we do?" My father asked. My eyes began to close but I forced them to reopen. I can't sleep at a time like this!_

_"We don't know anything about her case. I suggest we keep her locked here for a while in case her… condition is contagious. It may spread to the rest of your family or even more people if we don't do anything about it." I'm not sure what father's response was because I couldn't look back up._

_"I think that's a good idea." The Third Hokage finally said. I turned and watched the three walk away and close the door behind them, leaving me in darkness. I guess I got my answer._

_There's no more hope, is it? No, I refuse to believe that! I will not give up and rot here. Never. _

* * *

><p><strong>I thank the two people who reviewed because it made me so happy. I'm not going to ask people to review, but I would appreciate it if you do. They make me feel all giddy and sparkly inside. I know, a lack of vocabulary here, but it's the truth!<strong>


	4. What Just Happened?

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Naruto**_** or any of the characters because it belongs to the genius known as Masashi Kishimoto. I do, however, own my OCs.**

* * *

><p><strong>Third Person P.O.V<strong>

"Liz, I invited Uchiha-san's family over." Phil said as he walked inside followed by four other people. Liz stood up from her sitting position and bowed towards the family.

"It's nice to meet you. Phil, where's – "

"Dad! Where's An? What happened? Why are you not answering me? Why is it so quiet?" Electra ran towards her parents and stopped. She stared at the four people standing in front of her. Fugaku was as serious as ever. He had the traditional looks of an Uchiha. He had short black hair with dark ebony eyes. As usual, his face was presented with a frown that made his visible creases under the eyes more noticeable.

"Oh… Where's An?" The hyper girl narrowed her eyes at the little boy trying to hide himself behind his older brother. She didn't bother looking at the rest of the family since she already knew who they were. She calmed down and asked her parents quietly. Electra turned around and waited for her father's response. Phil stayed silent and looked away. Liz, understanding what had happened, smiled at the Uchihas.

"Hello, I'm Sima Liz. This is my youngest daughter, Electra. She's a bit energetic, as you can see." She cleared her throat before it could crack and reveal the obvious anxiety she was trying to conceal.

"Hello, I'm Mikoto, Fugaku's wife. This is my oldest son, Itachi. My youngest son here… is Sasuke." Her smile was genuine and sweet. Itachi nodded in acknowledgement when his name was mentioned. Sasuke, however, hid himself completely behind his brother and Mikoto had to pull him away.

Mikoto was fair-skinned with long black hair and the same dark eyes. She had bangs framing both sides of her face. Although a mother of two children, she preserved her youth well and her features were soft and gentle, much like her personality. Her smile was reassuring and Liz felt herself relax under her gaze.

Sasuke and his brother, Itachi, resembled their mother. The two being brothers, looked alike with some differences. Itachi's skin was slightly tanner than Sasuke's. Another difference was their hair. Itachi's hair color is duller compared to Sasuke's black hair with blue tints and had a softer flow. His hair was long and tied back in a low ponytail. He had some black hair hanging near his cheeks to frame his face. Itachi inherited the creases under his eyes from his father, but unlike the serious look Fugaku had, Itachi possessed a more caring look.

"Mikoto, why don't you go to the kitchen to help Liz-san with the dinner?" Fugaku suggested. Mikoto nodded at her husband and led Liz into the kitchen.

"So? What are you making tonight?" She asked cheerfully. Liz cleared her throat and looked down at the floor to hide her embarrassed expression.

"Actually… I don't cook dinner. Phil usually takes care of that."

* * *

><p>Dinner was unusually silent and of course that didn't help the thick tension at all. Electra didn't even look down to her food. Instead, she was glaring at Fugaku and Phil.<p>

"Electra, why don't you try the food Mikoto-san made?" Liz's quiet yet demanding voice said, breaking Electra out of her glaring war with the two fathers in the room. She looked down at the food and slowly picked up the pair of chopsticks. Electra picked up a piece of the food and popped it into her mouth. She just managed to finish that piece and was about to reach for another when she remembered that they were all eating without An. Slamming the chopsticks down to the table, she knitted her eyebrows together. Phil's nose flared and he slammed his hand onto the table.

"What's with your attitude? What's your problem?" Electra looked up and ignored everyone else. She didn't even notice the disapproving look Liz was giving her.

"My problem is that you abandoned your daughter!" She stood up causing Liz to follow.

"Electra! Sit down!" Liz said through her clenched teeth.

"But –"

"I SAID SIT DOWN!" The anger and frustration that were in her wide eyes melted away and she quickly, but reluctantly, sat back down. Dinner continued but it was rather awkward.

"So, Electra-san, how do you like the Academy?" Itachi started, hoping to eat in peace and not drown in the pressure and anger. Electra jumped at the sound of his voice. She looked up and quickly looked back down at her food. Sadness washed over her when she remembered that An had always been a big fan of the infamous Uchiha Itachi.

"I don't like it." She muttered as she slowly chewed the meat.

"Why?" Sasuke had finally mustered enough courage to speak. Electra was so upset she didn't even glare at the young Uchiha.

"They separated An and me!" Mikoto smiled at the childish tone Electra was suddenly using.

"Why?" Mikoto asked, hoping to add on to the conversation.

"I don't know, maybe Iruka-sensei just wanted to torture us!" Electra shrugged and whined.

"Where do you sit?" Itachi asked after he swallowed his rice. Electra seemed to ponder, but Sasuke answered first.

"An-san sits right in front of me and Electra-san sits on the other side of the room. She sits next to Naruto." Electra slowly blinked and looked up at the ceiling, as if looking for an answer there.

"I do? How come I didn't know that? There's no way I can miss such yellow hair!" Mikoto giggled and coughed quietly to cover her laughter.

"Yellow hair?"

"Yeah, that's what my sister said. She said she's shocked she could still see. All that yellow blinded her." Electra rambled on without even realizing she said all that out loud. She looked up confused when everyone began laughing. Even Fugaku had a smile on his face.

"So how are you finding the material you're learning?" Fugaku asked. Electra grimaced and opened her mouth to answer.

**KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!**

She quickly closed her mouth and stood up with her parents. The Uchihas stayed sitting but focused on the door. Phil slowly opened the door and his eyes widened at the sight.

"Hey dad…" An whispered as she stumbled forward, trying not to fall.

* * *

><p><strong>An's P.O.V<strong>

The only door in the dark dismal room opened slightly, but that was wide enough for the light to escape inside. My closed eyes opened and squinted at the sudden brightness. A tall silhouette was vaguely seen by my sleepy eyes, but I knew it was there.

"How are you doing?" I looked up to where I presumed the head was.

"Jun?" My voice was dry and my voice faded to a dry whisper. I quickly swallowed down some saliva and cleared my throat.

"The one and only." His voice was cheerful enough but I couldn't bring myself to smile.

"Why are you here?" I looked down at my hands and sighed quietly.

"I was ordered to." He walked in fully and I could finally see his face. The expression on it was a mixture of disgust, resent, and hate. I was sitting in the corner farthest away from the door. I watched as Jun sat down near the door. It was probably better that way, to stay away from him.

"I'm guessing that it didn't go successful?" He asked indignantly. I shook my head slowly and turned to face the wall. I placed my forehead on it, trying to calm down as my body cooled from the cement's icy touch.

"You might as well just give up."

"Excuse me?" His voice was so quiet for a second I thought I had imagined it.

"I said you might as well just give up on being a ninja. Your sister has great potential but you don't. Even if your chakra is normal, you're just not fit to become a ninja." His voice was aloof. Just like ice, his words pierced through my soul. I closed my eyes and smiled bitterly at the familiar words.

_"Mr. Sima, I'm sorry, but the baby is very weak. The probability of her surviving… it's very low." _

"_Give up, you can't jump that high." A tall boy sneered at the stubby three year old._

"_An, I think you should repeat second grade. You don't know a speck of English, there's no way you can pass. Wouldn't you rather be the big fish in a small pond? Just give up." The translator smiled reassuringly but it did no good to the upset girl._

"_Give up on life. No one cares. You're just another person. No one will remember you when you die." An elderly woman said on her deathbed. She stared straight into the dark eyes of the young girl as she emphasized each word carefully._

"Electra will probably become a great ninja, but even if I fail, I can't – I won't give up here." My voice was clear and determined. I could feel Jun's glare burning my back.

"That's really stupid. You might die from your strange chakra. Just seal it and give up." I sat up straight and turned around.

"I'm willing to take that chance…" I smiled and took a deep breath. My eyes closed as I concentrated. I was vaguely aware of Jun's scoffing.

"Fine, but I'll be outside. I won't watch you die from your own stupid mistakes." I didn't respond, nor did I react when the door was slammed with great force. It vibrated slightly and the vibrations traveled towards the walls and floor.

My heartbeat was even, I could hear it – no, I could feel it against my chest. My breathing was controlled and I could feel my lungs expanding. Blood was pulsing through my veins. My muscles were tensing and relaxing. My eyes rolled behind my lids as I searched for my "frozen" chakra. I could feel myself slipping from my consciousness.

Everything was dark and vacant. I couldn't feel anything, but I shivered.

"Hello? Where am I?" My voice echoed but no one responded. I stood there, in the middle of nowhere and stared at nothing. My eyes narrowed when I saw something rush by. I blinked and then rubbed my eyes. When I looked again, it was no longer dark. Everywhere around me… it was so colorful! Colors swirled around me and when I reached my hand out, it quickly gathered at my palm. I was able to make out seven different colors at my palm. It suddenly exploded and the colors separated, each heading for a different direction.

A violet light reached to the top of my head. The indigo came between my eyebrows. A beautiful azure blue disappeared at my throat. The green energy flew into the middle of my chest, where my heart was located. A yellow light disappeared when it came into contact with my stomach. The orange came at my lower belly and the red disappeared at the base of my spine.

I was confused for a short while when I suddenly felt… different. My troubled mind began to clear and suddenly every thought was understood, but this time I wasn't overwhelmed. My eyesight improved by tenfold. When I looked down at my hand, I noticed small details I was unable to see before even when I concentrated. My hearing also strengthened and I could detect tiny sounds. As I breathed the air in, it tasted fresher and I found that I could identify different particles in the air. It got even stranger when I felt a new source of power rushing through me.

My thoughts were processed a lot faster and putting the pieces together became a simple task. I had succeeded. My chakra… it was somehow flowing now. The stranger part, I have no idea how I did it.

_How am I going to explain it to people when they question how I did it? Oh well, I'll come up with something! I need to get out of here._

"Open your eyes!" A new voice ordered and suddenly my eyes snapped open. A man wearing a mask with gravity-defying silverfish white hair stood in front of me. His left eye was covered by his forehead protector.

_Hatake Kakashi_

Kakashi sighed in relief and stood up. I looked up and glanced behind him to see the Third Hokage standing next to Jun.

"What happened?" Kakashi questioned me as I slowly stood up.

"What do you mean? I fell asleep, didn't I?" I spoke with mock innocence that they seemed to believe.

"Your chakra… it's flowing now." The Third pointed out. I blinked and smirked mentally.

"Does that mean I can go home now?"

"No, not yet." Jun narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously.

"Hokage-sama, I think we should interrogate her first. She seems suspicious." The hokage seems hesitant and looked at me nervously.

_Stupid Jun, what did I ever do to him? I want to go home. They need to stop wasting time!_

"Its fine, you guys can interrogate me all you want. I don't know anything except I fell asleep and now everything's fine with me." I stared at Jun and smiled sweetly at him.

"We have her consent, let's go!"

_He wants a challenge, well bring it!_

So now I sat inside a dark room waiting for two people who apparently excel in this interrogating crap to arrive.

_It's probably Morino Ibiki and Yamanaka Inoichi, then. _

The door opened and the two people I have been expecting walked in. First was the scar-faced man who brings nightmares to your nightmares, Morino Ibiki. The second is the man who browses through people's mind like it's an open magazine. They walked in and closed the door, joining me in the dark and cold room.

_What is with Konoha's obsession with cold and dark rooms?_

"Sima An, I trust you know why you're here?" The rough voice of Ibiki spoke as Inoichi observed in the background.

"Yeah… more or less." I wobbled my head to indicate the more or less part.

"I would hope you're smart enough to do this the easy way by answering truthfully. Now, how did your chakra begin flowing?" The two man stared at me intently, making me feel intimidated.

"I'm not sure." Ibiki's eyes narrowed at my response and stared at me straight in the eye. He raised his arm threatening and my eyes followed it to see it was tightened into a fist.

"I'm going to ask you again, how did your chakra melt?"

"I told you the truth, I'm not sure." He didn't hesitate to swing his arm forward. My eyes widened and quickly snapped shut. I waited for the impact but it never came. I opened one eye and then the other when I saw that Inoichi had stopped Ibiki's fist. He stopped it just in time too; Ibiki's fist was too close for my comfort.

"We were told not to harm her. I'll take care of this." Inoichi, although less violent, can be even more dangerous. I swallowed and sat up straighter. He placed his hand on top of my head and slowly I felt myself losing consciousness again.

"Wake up! Wake up!" _Not again! Why does this keep happening today? _

I opened my eyes and looked up. Jun was staring down at me and when he saw that I was awake, he quickly dropped me. I looked around my surroundings. It was dark, but I was no longer trapped inside an empty cell. I was outside, in Konoha, and I'm still alive!

"What happened?" Jun glared at me but quickly looked away when I turned my head towards him.

"I'm supposed to bring you home." I nodded to indicate I heard him. I have no idea what Inoichi saw inside my head, but hopefully it was nothing that would bring me too much suspicion. The walk towards my home was silent, but unlike the other times, it was rather uncomfortable to feel the indignant aura that Jun was sending off. I sighed in relief when I finally saw the house in front of me. Jun patted my shoulder and slightly pushed me forward. For a second – okay, more like the whole time – I thought I had gotten lost and that Jun was taking me off somewhere to kill me silently. I mean, he was certainly capable of it! I was about to run towards the door when I felt my legs giving up. I didn't fall, but I felt my energy draining, and quickly too. I glanced back and saw Jun standing there with a smirk on his face. His right hand was surrounded by light blue chakra. I narrowed my eyes but smiled at him.

_That bastard! He's trying to mess with me!_

I walked up to the door slowly and knocked three times. I waited and finally the door opened to reveal my bewildered father.

"Hey dad…" I whispered in a sing-song voice. Based on Electra and mother's expression, I could conclude that I look worst than I thought.

_Well, isn't that fantastic?_

* * *

><p><strong>I'm really glad people like my story and I just have to thank the people who reviewed. I hope my story will continue to please your hungry-for-reading minds!<strong>


	5. Password

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Naruto**_** or any of the characters because it belongs to the genius known as Masashi Kishimoto. I do, however, own my OCs.**

* * *

><p>I stared at the four people now standing in the dining room. They all stared back at me. It was strange, I stared – they stared, I blinked – they didn't blink. Remembering my manners, I smiled and bowed to each of them.<p>

"Hello, I don't believe we've met. I'm Mikoto, Fugaku's wife. These are my two sons, Itachi and Sasuke." Mikoto was the first to react and she walked up to me. She greeted me warmly and led me inside towards the table.

"Hello, I'm An." I finally managed to say before I was pushed down in front of the table filled with food.

"You should eat, you look a little pale." She patted my shoulder, exactly where Jun had patted me. I winced slightly when I felt a sting at that spot. From the corner of my eye, I saw Itachi narrow his eyes.

"Oh, no thank you. I'm not that hungry." I smiled and pushed the plate of food slightly away. Mikoto frowned a little and her eyes looked a bit sad.

"Nonsense, you should eat something." She insisted and pushed the plate back towards me.

"Um… actually, Mikoto-san, An isn't supposed to eat anything right now. She's sort of readjusting to everything now that she's… normal." My mother informed her. I flinched slightly at the way mother had phrased her words so carefully. I watched as Mikoto realized what mother was saying. Her eyes quickly filled with guilt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She apologized. I quickly stood up, feeling bad for upsetting her. She was just so nice!

"No, no, no. I should be the one sorry. I regret that I can't taste this food, but it sure does look very tasty from my perspective!" I said quickly in one breath. I sighed in relief when Mikoto smiled. The next thing I knew, I was held against her. I noticed Electra freeze and slowly step back at the sight of Mikoto _hugging_ me.

"You're such a sweet girl!" She gushed as she hugged me tighter.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked my sister in a low whisper. Electra pulled him aside and that caught the attention of Itachi, who finally looked away from me.

"An doesn't like hugs. She pretty much doesn't like any physical contact." Electra slowly took another step back.

"So? Why are you so scared?" Sasuke asked again as he glanced back at his mother.

"Because last time I hugged her, An got really, really, really, really upset. She's scary when she's upset."

"How bad did it get?"

"Don't ask; I'm trying not to scar your mind forever!" Electra was about to take another step back when I saw mother pull her back into the room.

"Mom! What are you doing? Start running! You saw what happened la – "Electra stopped talking and her jaw dropped when I slowly wrapped my arms around Mikoto. Obviously satisfied with my hug, she finally released me. She gave me a tiny wink, leaving me confused until she patted my shoulder again. This time, it didn't hurt and I felt a lot more refreshed. She smiled at me again when she saw I understood.

"Anyway, we should finish eating." Father pointed out. They all sat down and Electra pulled me towards my chair, forcing me to sit down.

"What are you doing?" I hissed as she sat down next to me.

"Torturing you." She said that as if it was totally normal. Sasuke looked up from his food and looked between the two of us.

"What do you mean?" Electra smirked and grabbed an onigiri. She opened her mouth widely and took a bite. I watched as she chewed obnoxiously and loudly.

"Look, An! It's soooo ggooodd!" She stretched out each word as she chewed. I grimaced and punched her lightly on the arm.

"Ow! You made me bit my tongue! Great, now I taste blood!" Electra finally exploded right after she swallowed.

"Electra! You should know better than to display such grotesque behavior in front of guests! Is something wrong with your mouth because you usually chew a lot more quietly." I lectured her with mock disappointment.

"There is nothing wrong with my mouth!" I smiled knowingly, expecting that answer from her predictable self.

"Then don't chew like that." My voice was now serious and the grin was wiped off of my face. I smothered a laugh when Electra huffed and quickly ate her food. I turned my head and saw Itachi sitting across from me, looking quite amused. He looked at me and then back down to his food.

"Electra-san, you were telling us how you feel about the material you're learning?" Fugaku pointed out after all grew silent.

"Oh yeah!" She quickly swallowed her food and looked at everyone with a stern look. She tried to keep that face but began twitching after a few seconds.

"Don't do that. It makes you look like you're about to have a seizure!" Mother pointed out as she rolled her eyes, clearly used to this behavior. Electra burst out laughing and nodded.

"Okay, okay. Anyway, I don't understand a thing." Sasuke looked shocked at her answer and stared at her with eyes as large and round as the full moon outside.

"Sasuke, why are you staring at Electra-san like that?" Itachi asked in his relaxed tone.

"Because An-san seems to know the material so well!" He screamed a bit too loudly and looked down with a slight blush on his face as he mumbled a quiet apology.

"Oh? An, what do you think of the Academy?" Mikoto questioned gently.

"It's okay, not too bad. I think I get it, but it's one thing to think you get it and actually get it." I nodded wisely while they all just stared at me dumbfounded. I sighed to myself. No one ever understands me when I try to say something deep. I honestly don't know why I still try.

"So you're doing well on your first day?" Father finally questioned. I rolled my head and bit my lip as I considered an answer.

"I'm doing…decent."

"Decent? You're doing really well!" Sasuke pointed out and took another bite out of his food. I smiled slightly at his response.

"Maybe, but I think got off on the wrong foot with Iruka-sensei."

"What did you do?" Father asked as he stared at me. I coughed uncomfortably and looked away.

_Avoid eye contact, avoid eye contact, avoid eye contact… _I continued to chant in my head as I tried to answer in a nonchalant voice.

"I got caught not paying attention?" It came out in a question and my voice squeaked near the end. I laughed nervously and looked down slightly to see father and mother both gave me a disapproving look.

_Damn! What happened to avoiding eye contact!_ I scolded myself mentally.

"Really? But then how did you know we weren't really talking about chakra?" Sasuke leaned closer and asked, clearly baffled.

"It's because I'm so awesome." Electra intruded and smirked smugly. I rolled my eyes.

"Cocky much?" Everyone ignored my comment.

"But, how does you being awesome relate to An's situation?" Sasuke knitted his eyebrows together as he tried to figure this out on his own.

"Wait, I'm confused. What happened exactly?" Mother asked as she placed her chopsticks down.

"Iruka-sensei was lecturing a couple of students who didn't do their homework and told An-san and Electra-san to learn from this experience. Electra-san responded – quite rudely, might I add – but An-san didn't. Iruka-sensei kept on calling her name, but An-san didn't respond. When she finally responded, Iruka-sensei asked her if she was paying attention, which she nodded to. Iruka-sensei was trying to be tricky and asked her to explain what chakra was and said that we just learned it even though we didn't talk about it today. An-san then replied that we weren't learning about chakra, but if he wanted to, she could still give him the definition. So An-san gave him a great explanation and totally shocked him! You should've seen his face!" Sasuke had explained that all in one breath and his voice grew louder and louder as he ran out of air. By the time he finished speaking, his voice was in a shout. I cringed away from the loudness and looked away to avoid the displeased expression on my parent's face. I felt everyone staring at me but I looked up at the ceiling, where I had to squint my eyes due to the light.

"How did you know?" Itachi inquired. I blinked from both the light and the shock he had asked me and looked down. I was right, everyone was staring at me.

"Well, I saw Electra shaking her head from all the way across the room." Electra grinned proudly.

"That's it? She could've just shook her head to get the hair out of her eyes!" My father pointed out. Electra's smiled faded and she frowned at father.

"Hey! I only do that when I can't move my arms and my nose gets itchy!" Everyone tuned her out as I continued to explain.

"That and I noticed that everyone's books were about something else. Not to mention if he really did explain it, then I wouldn't have dozed off. It was stupid and mainly based on a hunch."

"You wouldn't have dozed off?" Fugaku questioned. By this time, everyone had finished eating.

"Yeah, An always snaps back into reality whenever something important is about to happen, it's like her six sense." Electra threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly. I grimaced and quickly pushed her off. She pouted and crossed her arms.

"That's not fair!"

"It is fair! It's not Wednesday yet. That's the only day in the week you're allowed to hug me."

"But you let – "

"That's different. The rule only applies to people I don't like." Electra's eyes widened and looked as if they were about to tear up. I saw Mikoto smile happily at my comment.

"You don't like me?"

"Nope." She gasped and looked as if she was about to go into another anger fit.

"T-that's because I love you!" I tried to amend quickly. She immediately smiled and launched herself towards me again. I grunted when she hugged me again but didn't move. I laid there like a lifeless doll while Electra continued to squeeze the life out of me.

"Aw! That's so cute!" Mikoto commented. I sighed and started to squirm, indicating that Electra should get off… NOW! Electra, understanding my message quickly jumped up. I got up from the floor and took the remaining plates into the kitchen and piled them at the sink.

"An and Electra, go wash the dishes." My father ordered. I rolled up my sleeves and was going to turn on the water when a hand stopped me. I looked up and saw mother and Mikoto standing there.

"You don't have to do the dishes. We'll do it."

"But…"

"Just give us this excuse to get out of Fugaku's competitive games!" Mikoto gave me a pleading look and I nodded slowly, not completely sure what was happening. This had to be a dream, right? I pinched myself and winced at the pain. So much for that hope! I walked out and sat down on the floor of the living room where everyone was gathering.

"Let's play a game!" Sasuke yelled excitedly.

"What should we play then?" Itachi asked as he sat down next to Sasuke. The little boy glanced up to his brother and scrunched up his face, as if he had never heard of those words before in his life. Electra sighed at his foolish mind.

"If you want to play a game, then you gotta know what game to play!" I shook my head at her attitude and nudged her slightly. Sasuke looked down to the floor with a crushed expression. My eyes caught something glistening down his cheek and quickly cleared my throat uncomfortably.

"Why don't we play… um… password! Yeah, that!" I suggested. Everyone had a different reaction. Electra stared at me blankly, Itachi seemed satisfied with my suggestion, Sasuke was confused but smiled brightly, father and Fugaku seemed like they just didn't care. Such enthusiastic audience I had here!

"How do you play that game?" Sasuke asked. Electra sighed and rolled her eyes, as if his very presence was a burden.

"Okay, Miss Obnoxious, you explain how to play!" I smirked, knowing that she didn't know either.

"Well, eh… just give me a second here! I know it involves a password." I sighed quietly to myself.

"The game is usually played with four players. There are two teams with two players on each team. We'll call the players on each team A and B for explaining purposes. So basically there's going to be five words. Player A's sit side by side facing their B partners. Player A takes a card with the 'password' on it and gives his/ her partner a _one clue word. _Player B tries to guess the password. If B gets it right, they receive 10 points. If they get it wrong, the other team will go by the same process. If the players get it on the first try, they receive 10 points. On the second try, 9 points. On the third try, 8 points and so on. On the fifth word, the points are doubled. Whichever team receives the most points in the end of the game wins." I prepared myself for someone to look at me with a blank face, but surprisingly, they all nodded their heads in understanding. I grinned and took out a lot of paper.

"So, Fugaku-san and father, would you mind coming up with the passwords?"

"That also means you can't play if you come up with the words." Electra added. The two grabbed a pen and began writing immediately.

"Well, now we pick the teams." I said, even though I already knew how this would end up.

"I choose An!" Electra immediately yelled and grabbed onto my arm. Sasuke pouted and crossed his arm.

"I wanna be partners with An-san!" The response astonished everyone, especially me.

"Why?" Electra and I said simultaneously, although Electra sounded more angry than shocked.

"Because An-san's nice!" Electra and I blinked slowly. Then Electra burst out laughing. She rolled to the floor and clutched onto her stomach. I narrowed my eyes and placed my hands on my hips.

"What's so funny about me being nice?" She immediately stopped laughing and sat up straighter than she had throughout this whole evening.

"Nothing, but you're still my partner." I slowly scooted away from her and her frustrated aura.

"No! That's not fair! We're guests so you should let me decide!" Electra and Sasuke glared at each other and began bickering. Their talking soon became yelling and screaming.

"Quiet! Since you two can't play well, you're going to have to play together!" Fugaku ordered. Everyone shut their mouth and didn't dare to open them.

"So, I guess Itachi's on my team, then." I turned to see him look at me with a curious expression.

_As long as I win, I'm fine with whomever._

* * *

><p>"Alright, let's begin." Father stated as he placed the shuffled cards down. Itachi and Sasuke sat next to each other, since they decided to be 'Player A.' Electra and I glanced at each other. She stuck her tongue out at me and I turned my head away confidently. Itachi picked up the first card and didn't even look at it.<p>

"Game." His voice was void of emotions.

"Password." He nodded and placed the card at the corner. He quickly picked up another card. Father was keeping track of the scores and marked a ten in our column.

"Girls." I blinked and stared at my fingers.

_What the hell? Couldn't he be more specific?_

"People?" He shook his head and gave the card to Sasuke. He looked at it and then at Electra.

"Clothes." Electra scratched her chin as she thought of an answer.

"Dresses."

"No!" He yelled out frustratingly. Electra narrowed her eyes at him and gritted her teeth but didn't say anything.

"Shoes." Itachi gave me his second hint. I sighed and rolled my head.

"Outfit." I groaned when he shook his head again.

"Annoying." Sasuke said. Electra waited and then glanced at him.

"Was that my hint?"

"Yes!" Electra scratched her head and snapped her fingers when she came up with an answer.

"Shopping!" Sasuke sighed and grinned. I turned to Itachi with a disbelief face.

"Girls? Really? You said girls for shopping?"

"Yes, girls like to shop." He stated.

"That's a pretty broad statement."

"But it's true."

"It is not. Not all girls think shopping is fun. It's not like we shop all day!" He didn't say anything else after my comment. Fugaku marked a 9 on Electra and Sasuke's column. Sasuke took another card and grinned.

"Electra." Electra looked up at him.

"What?"

"That's your clue!"

"Oh… awesome." We all stared at her.

"Absolutely not." Sasuke whispered. He reluctantly showed Itachi the card.

"Volume." I smiled and answered without hesitation.

"Loud." He nodded and smiled back. It was almost invisible, practically microscopic, but it was there. Uchiha Itachi had just smiled at me.

_I feel so special! And I sound really stupid…_

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if this chapter was a little boring, but I had to add it. This chapter was mainly added to show the start of a beautiful friendship. By that, I'm not indicating Itachi and An. It's more to show that Fugaku actually gets along with Phil and that Mikoto gets along with Liz.<strong>

**Also, An is very competitive, so she gets impatient when she's in competition. **


	6. Training Equals Failure

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p>"Again, concentrate!" Jun ordered as I tried for the billionth time to walk up the tree. Gravity just hated me, didn't it? I took a deep breath, concentrated on the chakra located on the bottom of my feet and closed my eyes. I finally understood why Naruto always did that. When my eyes closed, there was a clearer picture of my chakra, as if I could see it. I opened my eyes and eyed the tree. I took a deep breath and backed off before running up to it. I got about halfway up and just as I was thinking I might have finally did it, I felt myself slipping again. I grunted quietly when I fell back down to the floor. The area under the tree that used to have ample grass was now bare soil due to my constant falling. I was about to get up to try again when I saw Jun looking down at me. He sighed frustratingly and pulled me up rather roughly.<p>

"We're gonna have to try the walking on water approach, then." He pushed me forward towards the water. I blinked and watched as he showed me a demonstration.

"First you concentrate your chakra to the soles of your feet." I watched as the chakra rushed to the bottom of his feet. I could see the vague outline of a clear blue energy surrounding it.

"Then all that's left is to walk on the water!" I frowned slightly behind my mask. I had grown accustomed to it. Back in New York, I had found anything covering my face irritating because it either upset my sensitive skin or made it hard to breathe. It ended as either a rash or suffocation and I wasn't looking forward to either. Now, though, it was like another part of me. I didn't itch or feel uncomfortable. I will never question Kakashi and his refusal to take off his mask ever again, not that I ever did. I snapped back to reality when Jun snapped his finger in front of my face.

"Start practicing!" He ordered. I glanced at him and then back at the water. He had made it look so easy, but I knew it was much more difficult. I concentrated on my chakra and when I _thought_ I had the perfect amount, I slowly stepped into the water. At first everything was fine… until I placed my other foot into the water.

**SPLASH!**

I swam up onto the shore and stood up, ready to try again. I didn't understand this at all. I'm positive my concentration on my chakra never broke. I did exactly the same thing and stared down at me feet this time. I could see my chakra, the usual clear blue color, and walked into the water. Once again, I fell into the water. I swam up to the surface and didn't get out of the lake. What happened? I stared at my foot the whole time and my chakra didn't even waver.

"What are you doing in the lake? Gave up already?" Jun sneered. I looked up to see him standing on the water with his hands on his hips.

_Jerk! He just loves to show off!_

"Jun –_sensei_, I don't understand what I'm doing wrong! I did exactly what you told me to." His eyebrows raised skeptically. The man just thought he was _so_ perfect.

"Perhaps you didn't use enough chakra." I frowned and decided to try again even though I was pretty sure that wasn't the problem. This time he was examining me, so I _really _didn't want to fail. I stared at the water, almost as if begging for it to cooperate. I could feel something in the back of my mind, almost like a tiny voice, but the more I tried to concentrate on it, the more it disappeared. I blinked and turned my eyes away from the water. I concentrated on using more chakra like Jun had suggested and walked in. This time, instead of floating for at least a few seconds, I immediately sank into the water. I gasped and swam towards the surface. I slowly crawled out and lied down on the ground when I reached the surface.

"Well, I guess you're gonna have to try again tomorrow." He didn't even look back at me or anything, he just simply walked away. I watched as his form got smaller and smaller before disappearing completely. I was completely drenched. Luckily, I had been smart enough to bring an extra spare of clothes. Even though there was no one here, I didn't want to risk it. I didn't have anything to hide. I mean, if there really was anyone, I would feel sorry for them. They'll probably gouge their own eyes out and even then, they'll still get nightmares. I hid behind a bush and quickly changed. Placing my wet clothes in the bag that had originally been the temporary shelter for my spare, I gathered everything and walked out of the training field.

* * *

><p>I had always been a fast learner and when it comes to the things I learn, none of them I hadn't mastered in just a day or less. Learning chakra control was the first. I sighed to myself as I walked into town. It was busy as usual. Some of the people still gave me strange looks while others just ignored me.<p>

I didn't go to the Academy today. Thanks to my 'special case,' Electra and I had missed the first training so we needed extra time today in order to catch up. Electra had proven to be a natural in this area. It was just like Jun had predicted; Electra would become a splendid ninja while I wouldn't get anywhere, probably killed on the first mission I got. Electra had managed to complete both trainings on her first try so she was excused to go home, or do whatever she wanted. I, on the other hand, flunked and still didn't get anywhere.

"Don't be so upset, little girl." A raspy voice whispered. I looked to my left to see an old woman smiling at me. The few remaining strands of her white-silverish hair were tied back into a tight bun. She was crouched and leaning towards her brown wooden cane. Her body was filled with sagging wrinkles, like a garbage bag filled with excessive rubble right before it rips. Her face was uplifted into an empathic smile. Her eyes were narrowed and stretched when she smiled but I could make out two deep chestnut brown eyes staring at me, as if she was reading my soul.

"I'm not upset." I denied. The woman's smile lessened until it was barely there. Her eyes became more visible and I saw I was right about the color. The old woman stared at me, starting from the top of my head to the soles of my shoes. She shook her head slightly and walked up to me. I didn't move when she grasped my hand and placed them in between her thin frail ones. Her eyes closed and after a few seconds, she released my hand and opened her eyes.

"Your face is blank and your body says you're fine, but you feel differently. You have been bottling up those feelings, both good and bad." She declared and her eyes were so certain I had to look away.

"Why would you say that?" The woman tilted her head to the side, almost as if she was taking a better look at something.

"Come inside to my bookstore. It's been a long time since I've had company." I watched warily as she turned around and walked into the bookstore she was standing in front of. I did need books, so might as well. Maybe I'll get a discount for being her 'company' after such a long time. I followed her in and when I looked inside, my eyes widened. She chuckled at my expression even though one can barely see anything from my face.

"I haven't seen anyone so excited about books at your age." I didn't reply and continued to stare at the infinite shelves that covered the store. Each shelf was filled with as much books as possible. I walked forward towards the first shelf and looked through the books. I could feel her eyes glued to me but I didn't care. My hands brushed over all of them and paused at one of them. Lingering on it for a moment longer, I took it out of the shelf and looked at the cover. The thing that had caught my attention in the first place was its different texture. All the other books felt as if they were made by the same – if not, then similar – material for a cover but only this one was different. The cover proved my point. The characters on the book were not Japanese, although it looked pretty similar. The characters I was familiar with, they were Chinese calligraphy.

"You're the first one to ever pick up that book." I jumped slightly and turned around to see the woman standing right in front of me. Her eyes twinkled with some unknown emotion.

"You're not from here, are you?" My jaw clenched and tightened.

"Where'd you get this book?" I didn't bother answering her question, but by that expression on her face, I'm pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"I am a book collector. This book has been passed onto my family since as far as any of us can remember. The language written in that book, well no one can understand it." She glanced at me when she said that. I pressed my lips together. Of course no one understood it. In this world, Japanese was probably the only language spoken. Chinese is completely foreign to them, no matter how the literature can be similar at times.

"You seem very interested in it. I have a few other books that no one understands. I can show it to you." I looked at her hopefully. She smiled and walked passed me. I watched as she took out a few books from the shelves. She handed them to me as I flipped through all of them. I closed them and then looked up, expecting her to be in front of me. My eyebrows furrowed when I realized that she had disappeared once again. How fast can an old lady get? I turned a 360 degrees circle and saw her sitting down in an armchair, sipping on a cup of tea.

"How much do I pay you?" She didn't respond. Instead, the woman placed her cup down and stood up. I was slightly taller than her, but her gaze made me feel small again.

"They're free." My eyes widened and I gazed down at the pile of books again.

"But they've been in your pile forever! I can't possibly just take them without giving you anything back!" She laughed at how strongly I felt about this.

"Sweetheart, I have no use for them. I'm not going to charge you. If you don't take them, then no one will. You're doing me a favor by getting rid of them. My space is limited and everything is already so crowded. I need the extra space." She smiled at me and reached up to pat my head. Normally I would have screamed at a person for touching my hair but I couldn't bring myself to yell at her after she just gave me about 20 or more books for free. She walked towards her counter at the front of the store and pulled out a fabric bag. I smiled at her and placed the books inside. I opened the door and just as I was about to step out, I turned around and waved goodbye.

"Bye…"

"Call me Gran."

"Bye Gran." I walked out and closed the door, not glancing back knowing I would be back soon.

* * *

><p>I walked inside the empty house and my eyes easily noticed the yellow paper on the top of the table.<p>

_Dear An,_

_Electra, your father and I have decided to visit the Uchiha family. Don't worry; your grandparents are still home. Oh, yeah, tell them that we left and the food is in the refrigerator. We'll be back soon._

_Mom_

I crumpled up the paper and threw it into the garbage. I walked up to the third floor, where my grandparents were staying and knocked on the door. A quiet 'come in' was heard before I opened the door. My grandmother and grandfather turned towards me.

"Mom and the others went to visit the Uchiha family. She said the food's in the fridge." They nodded and ushered me towards them. I sat down on a chair and waited for them to speak.

"An, isn't this the show you and your sister loved to watch?" Grandmother asked me. My eyes widened and I looked up at them. How did they know?

"An, don't look at us like that. We took care of you the second you were released from the hospital. You can't hide something you love from us." Grandfather stood up and stretched his arm.

"Yeah, this is the world of Naruto." I confessed. The two smirked at each other.

"I told you it was true." Grabdmother taunted. Grandfather's eyes narrowed.

"Psh! As if! I told _you!_" Grandmother ignored him and turned back to me.

"That boy last night, Uchiha Itachi, he is your favorite character." I nodded, not even bothering to deny it. I peaked up to see their worried looks.

"An, you're a smart girl. You should know that having any relationship with him of any kind is impossible." I nodded once again.

"I wasn't planning to." I answered. My voice was emptier than it had ever been but I couldn't understand why I was feeling so down.

_"_Great, see what you did, old man? You discouraged her! You don't tell that to a young girl!" My grandmother scolded before turning back to gaze at me softly. Her hand reached up to touch my mask.

"Why did you decide to wear that mask?" She asked quietly. I didn't know how to reply to that question. I knew the answer was there, hidden somewhere in me, but I didn't know what to say.

"I… don't know." She nodded in understanding and stayed silent before standing up abruptly.

"Let's go get some food from downstairs." I grinned at her suggestion and walked down to find some food to fill our suffering stomach.

* * *

><p><strong>I have a plot planned out in my head, but I have to ask if anyone is expecting something to happen before the massacre. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. I might add them if I like it, I might not because I'm lazy. You never know…<strong>

**I planned to have the romance start after Itachi kills off all the Uchihas with an exception of Sasuke. That's pretty much it.**


	7. So Cold

I sighed and plopped down to my soft and comfy bed. I took out the first book I had picked out and looked at the cover. There were five large characters at the cover and I recognized them instantly. I was never great at reading or writing in Chinese, but I could certainly speak and understand it perfectly. Those five characters, though, I had seen so many times that I knew exactly what they meant.

火 – fire

水 – water

土 – earth

风 – wind

电 – lightning

I flipped to the first page and saw it was labeled fire. I read through what I understood and then copied down the ones I didn't. It turns out I knew more than I thought. Out of a whole chapter, which was like 15 pages long, there were only four characters I didn't understand. Reading over it, the four were easily figured out. I had learned that this book was about the controlling of the elements. It spoke of a few special people linked with nature that had the ability to control the elements more easily than others. According to the introduction, there had only been one other person able to control the elements without wasting any energy, but sadly, the man went crazy by not being careful with his power. In the end, he died from a series of disasters involving all five elements.

I shivered as I imagined the terrible sensation of being burned, drowned, shaken, tossed around, and electrocuted at the same time. When they had said going crazy, apparently the man abused his power by crowning himself as king or something and then claiming his powers were greater than any being. He wanted more power and when he forced it out of himself, his weak human body couldn't take the power.

So far I understood the concept of trying to control fire. You mustn't fear any of the elements, and you have to understand the dangers and importance of each. Every element has a voice and fire symbolizes a burning passion that never fades. The only thing I didn't understand was that the ability isn't about controlling the elements, but becoming them. It sounds pretty cliché and everything, and you would think I get it after hearing it from movies so many times, but I don't. They didn't exactly have a manual telling me how to 'become the elements.' Chakra has nothing to do with this, so it's easiest for someone who is not accustomed to using chakra to learn it. With that last thought, I stood up and walked over to the small candle on my desk.

_I'm going crazy; there is no way this will work._

I sat down on a chair and concentrated on the fire. That feeling in the back of my mind returned, but this time the voice didn't lower or disappear. Once again, when I tried to concentrate on it, hoping for it to work, it started to disappear. Just as the feeling was about to disappear, I thought of the Uchiha's famous fire techniques. My fingers twitched and the more I thought about fire, the more I realized my body was warming up.

_Before the light bulb, people used fire for a source of light. There were lots of fires and people got injured, but if I keep thinking about it, it was almost like Edison was inspired by the effects of fire. Not only that, but imagine trying to cook food. Oh gosh, all these delicious food… gone! Not to mention, how many times do I see in movies or read in books about an effect or cause of fire. Fire as distraction, for survival, pretty much everything!_

A small voice in me seemed to ask me to think like fire. I shrugged. I might as well, I'm already crazy!

_If I was fire… I'll be sad but instead of just wallow in depression, I would convert that into a much… brighter emotion. Would it be about anger? People tend to associate fire with anger, death, or something bad. Even I had feared fire back in the Big Apple. I think that there is more to fire, more to me. Fire is dangerous, that's true. But… if someone knew how to use it properly, then it would be a great tool. If I was fire, then I would never let myself be forgotten. I'll make sure the effects of me will forever be remembered. I WILL leave a mark on this world. _

**SNAP!**

I gasped and watched as the tiny fire on my candle began to grow and light up my room. It was dangerously close to my paper, and I did not want that to burn. Almost instantly, the fire began to shrink again. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Did I really do it? I blinked a couple of times and inhaled deeply. I had to try this again. I stared intently on the fire once more. I imagined to growing bigger but nothing happened. My smile was quickly replaced by a frown as I decided to switch my methods and imagine it shrinking. Still, nothing happened. Disappointment filled me before a new rush of foolishness and embarrassment took over.

I should have expected this coming. The thought of controlling fire, or any of the elements for that matter, was impossible. Even in this world, you need chakra. Without it, you can't do anything.

I stood up and was walking back to the bed when I remembered the yellow bag. I turned my head and saw that it was still there, untouched. I grabbed it and threw it on the bed before emptying it out. There was absolutely nothing there. I narrowed my eyes and flipped the bag upside down and shook it a couple of times, but still, nothing came out. I sighed and looked inside, but it was dark, like it was a cave that never allowed the sun or any other source of light to reach in. I reached my hand in and expected nothing, but was surprised when I found something. I pulled it out and stared at it for a few seconds before comprehending what it was. It was a golden knife that reached about halfway up my elbow. The hilt was covered with soft but durable fabric. It was white with gold and silver linings that crossed each other, forming many x's. The sheath had more intricate silver designs. There were swirls of delicate flowers and each petal I stared at seemed to bring a picture or scene into my head. On the side were two words – _Hidden Potential. _

I continued to stare at those two simple words for a while until I heard the door open and slam. Acting quickly, I placed the knife back into the bag and walked downstairs to greet my family and their new best friends, the Uchihas.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you again." I greeted to Fugaku and Mikoto. Fugaku gave me a brief nod while Mikoto smiled softly. The door was burst open and I watched as Electra and the two brothers walked inside.

"An, I'm hungry, can you find me some food?" Electra whined as she plopped down onto a chair. Sasuke frowned and glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"You just ate at our house!" Electra rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"So? I'm hungry again."

"You're such a pig!" Electra gasped and glared at him.

"I am not, you tomato-loving freak!"

"What's wrong with tomatoes? Wait, how'd you know I love tomatoes?" Sasuke hesitated and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Electra's eyes widened at the sudden slip and tried to compose herself quickly while coming up with an excuse.

"Oh, that reminds me! Didn't that pink-headed girl and her blonde hair mentioned something about Sasuke when we were walking home?" Noticing the slightly sharper look in my eyes before it returned to normal, Electra quickly caught on to what I was talking about. Sometimes I'm glad my sister understood me so well.

"Yeah! And they were saying how you love tomatoes and how 'they'll lure you into their trap using your love for tomatoes'." Electra and I raised our hands at the same time and made sure to use the air quotes when we recited Sakura and Ino's "plan." I watched as Sasuke's eyes widened until they were perfect circles and shiver every few seconds. The three of us watched as he continued to shiver until finally he cracked and screamed.

"Sasuke, don't scream!" Fugaku scolded before turning back to the conversation with my parents. Electra turned her eyes towards me and mouthed '_This is your fault, now solve it!'_

"Don't worry, Sasuke. Electra was just kidding about the plan. She's just a stalker but not a very good one, so if you see her peeking from your window, don't hesitate to throw something sharp at her."

"I am NOT a stalker and certainly not HIS stalker!" I rolled my eyes and continued, ignoring her.

"If you don't believe me, then you might as well give up your love for tomatoes." I stood up straighter. I could just see the gears working overtime inside Sasuke's head as he tried to choose an impossible choice.

"I-I guess I'll believe you." He finally said shakily. Itachi smiled softly and looked at me appreciatively. I nodded in response. Electra, however, wasn't done with her fun.

"Hey, anyone want any food?"

"I want an apple." I reply. Electra turned to Itachi and Sasuke but both of them shook their heads no. The smirk that was previously on my sister's face fell before it returned again a moment later.

"Are you sure Sasuke? We have plenty of – "

"Oh no." I groaned, finally realizing what Electra was up to.

"Tomatoes!" She finished. Sasuke's eyes widened again and he shook his head furiously. His lips twitched, obviously disagreeing with his decision and the poor child had to slap his face a couple of times to stop it. Electra had finally lost it when Sasuke muttered a quiet ouch after he slapped himself and didn't even bother to cover her laughter.

"Electra!" I scolded but she continued to laugh uncontrollably. I sighed and reached out to slap her arm a bit harder than usual. Electra's laughter began to quiet down and when it finally stopped, she pouted at me.

"It was funny!" She exclaimed after I didn't react towards her failed attempt of a pout. I rolled my eyes and didn't bother explaining to her about respect.

"I'm hungry, and there's nothing good in the fridge." They all looked at me with questioning looks.

"I already searched through the whole house." I answered. Electra nodded knowingly and held her pointer finger up with a look if discovery.

"Let's go out to eat, then! And Itachi and Sasuke are paying!" With that said, Electra dragged all of us outside.

"We're going outside!" I managed to yell before Electra slammed the door behind us.

* * *

><p>"Brother, help me train!" Sasuke begged after we finished eating. We were now walking through the streets, half of us (Electra and I) trying to take everything in.<p>

"I can't just leave An-san and Electra-san to help you train." Itachi stated as he glanced down to his brother. Sasuke pouted and looked down to the ground.

"That's not a problem! Just take us with you." Electra suggested as she continued to poke me. Sasuke quickly brightened and looked up to Itachi with pleading eyes.

"Alright,"

"Yay!" Sasuke quickly cheered and skipped forward.

"But, only if it's okay with An-san and Electra-san." Sasuke froze and ran back to me. He gave me the same pleading eyes but this time the cuteness was up to 100%.

"Please?" He squeaked. I pretended to think about it.

"I don't know… what's in it for me?" He frowned and crossed his arms. He stood there, in the middle of the road, blocking my path and didn't appear to move soon.

"Alright, fine!" I sighed with a little too much exasperation but he didn't notice as he started cheering again.

* * *

><p>"Itachi!" We all turned back to see a figure run out from the thick forest. At first it was dark but as he came closer, I realized who he was.<p>

"Shisui." Itachi nodded in greeting while Sasuke smiled widely. Shisui ruffled his hair and laughed when Sasuke pouted.

"Stop it! I'm not a little kid!" Shisui chuckled while Sasuke's frown continued to deepen.

"Sure you're not, kid."

"Hey!" Shisui ignored him and turned towards Itachi. He stiffened and his eyes narrowed when he noticed Electra and me.

"I didn't expect the Sima girls to be here." His voice was steady and calm. I couldn't detect a hint of suspicion or disapproval.

"We didn't expect to be here." I answered back. Everyone looked at me and I looked back nonchalantly. I kept my gaze at Shisui and bit my tongue until I tasted the iron taste of blood just to not show any fear or other emotions. I noticed disbelief in his eyes before he looked away.

_Ha! I just won a staring contest against an Uchiha!_

Shisui turned towards Itachi but glanced back at me one last time with a tiny amused smirk.

"Itachi, I thought you forgot about our training session today!" Shisui stated accusingly.

"I did." Nothing more was said from him and Shisui smiled knowingly.

"Well, since you've arrived, let's go now!" He didn't wait for an answer, just turned around and began walking.

"No." Shisui froze before the soles of his shoes even touched the ground and vanished. His figure disappeared and for some reason, I snapped my head towards Itachi and watched as Shisui reappeared again behind him. How I knew he would turn there – I had no idea, maybe because that was rather predictable in this situation. I saw something glisten below Itachi's neck when he shifted his head slightly. My eyes quickly focused on the new object and saw my careless expression reflected off of the metal before it disappeared as a small cloud covered the sun's rays.

"Why not?" In a situation like this, I would probably be panicking and running for my life. Growing up in New York, when I see anything that looked, was, or could be used as a weapon; I would analyze the situation _very _quickly. If it seemed safe – as in I wouldn't die or get hurt – I would proceed with life. When it was dangerous, everyone's first instinct would be run. However, this wasn't one of those situations. We could all tell Shisui was joking and when Itachi tried to elbow him, he quickly jumped back a safe distance away from the child prodigy. He placed the kunai back into his pouch and crossed his arms as he waited for the explanation he deserved. Itachi sighed but replied nonetheless.

"I can't just abandon them to train with you." There was a moment – well, less than a moment – of silence before Electra broke it. Being the feminine girl she is (note the sarcasm) she snorted loudly.

"Wow! Is that all? Just take us with you! We'll watch from the sidelines." Electra pointed out. I watched as the two pondered for a moment. They had one tiny second of eye contact before they both nodded simultaneously. How they did that, I will never know. Maybe it's an experienced ninja thing… whatever.

"Fine, let's go then. We're wasting precious time!" Shisui exclaimed as he ran into the forest. The rest of us walked in a much slower pace into the training field.

I sat in between Electra and Sasuke a distance away from the field while Itachi and Shisui stood facing against each other. I didn't even know when the battle started. One second the two were just standing there, then I blinked, and suddenly they both had kunai out in a fighting crouch. Shisui was standing on a tree while Itachi was looking up at him from the ground. Faster than the visible eye can see, Itachi threw the kunai with perfect accuracy. It would have no doubt done great damage if Shisui didn't disappear at the last moment. He reappeared behind Itachi but this time he was serious. Even I can tell that the speed he used this time compared to last time was far greater. This was where he got his reputation.

_Shisui of the Body Flicker_

Uchiha Shisui is one of the most talented shinobi and member of the Uchiha clan. He possessed the sharingan just like many other members of his clan. His sharingan, however, was able to manipulate others without them even knowing. He is a very powerful genjutsu user, and on top of that, he had great mastery over the Body Flicker Technique.

Even now, in the spar between Itachi, I can see the hidden strength inside him. The two weren't giving their all in this spar, but their skill still amazed me even though I had already known their capabilities. Right now, they're both evenly matched. One would attack, the other blocked. They both used only taijutsu and that went on for a while. Then suddenly they were in front of each other, their eyes analyzing the other and their weapons connected. Just as fast as Itachi and Shisui came together, they pushed each other away.

Their eyes flashed red and their sharingan spun wildly. Both their hands flew up so fast that it was impossible to tell who made the first move. I wasn't completely sure whether or not they even moved their fingers but the next thing I knew, both Uchihas were blowing huge fireballs out their mouths.

_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu_

Electra, Sasuke and I cringed and shielded our eyes. The anime did this jutsu no justice. It's supposed to be a C-Rank jutsu, but right now it sure doesn't seem like it. We were pretty far away from them, but I could still feel the heat from that fire. Its warmth spread inside me and I shivered slightly.

No matter how strong their lungs are, they eventually ran out of breath. Itachi reacted quickly and threw a handful of kunai and shuriken at Shisui. He jumped off the branch he was standing on previously quickly and then his eyes widened as he realized his mistake. While in midair, he couldn't move around freely and therefore an easy target to hit. Itachi realized this too and didn't waste any time. Thinking quickly, Shisui made five hand seals. The kunai and shuriken pierced through him but just when blood was supposed to come out, there was a large poof. When the smoke cleared, a log was in place with multiple weapons sticking out of it.

_Kawarimi no Jutsu_

Itachi smirked, clearly expecting that. He jumped back and quickly began forming seals faster than I can read. Again, I felt that familiar chill but it was easily ignored. I knew that I shouldn't have ignored that. There have been times similar to this and each time I regret the fact that I hadn't paid any attention to it. Something small can easily turn big. I sighed quietly and zipped my sweater up further. I felt warmth for a moment and smiled, thinking that was the end of that.

A volley of small fireballs was created and began flying towards different directions. I was confused for a moment but realized it soon afterwards. Each fireball hit another and counter attacked it. It seems Shisui had tried attacking first, but Itachi had read it with his sharingan.

_Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu_

I shivered involuntarily this time and it was a lot harder than last time. I shook my head a couple of times and continued to stare at the fire. Electra took off her sweater and complained about how hot it was. How odd… I found it pretty cold. I realized something was seriously wrong when I felt something wet on my forehead and neck. I reached up and wiped it.

Sweat.

I was sweating… yet I felt so cold. Everything was so cold. I shivered again and grabbed Electra's sweater.

"An-san, are you alright?" Sasuke asked quietly as he fanned himself using his hands. I nodded but felt another chill run through me. I found myself coughing and shaking.

"S-so cold." I managed to say through my chattering teeth.

"But An, you're sweating!" My breathing slowed as my body began to go into hibernation mode. As I closed my eyes, I barely felt something warm pressed against me. It was warm and I leaned towards it, but that little comfort was converted into another rush of coldness as I lost control of my body.

Oh lord, what's wrong with me?

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it took me forever to finish writing this chapter, but I'm still trying to piece the plot of the story together. It's quite a dilemma but I think I finally have something… I hope.<strong>


	8. I don't belong here

**Hi! I'm back and I'm really sorry I didn't update for such a long time. My reason isn't a good one, but nonetheless a reason. I have been really busy (and lazy) lately. Now that the tests are all over, I think I'll probably update more often. Of course, don't get your hopes up. There's no telling what the future will bring.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. That is rather unfortunate**

* * *

><p>"Doctor, what's wrong with her?" Liz asked the man. The doctor refused to meet the poor woman's eyes and kept it on his clipboard. He loved his job but it wasn't perfect. No matter how great something seemed to be, there was always a downside. The one thing he couldn't stand was seeing the patient andor their family worrying. Worrying usually ends with crying or angry citizens threatening him. Either way, it couldn't end well.

"Was there anything new that happened to her recently?" He glanced up slightly to see the seven other people (not including Linan lying on the bed) ponder for a moment."

"She complained about not getting enough sleep." Electra contributed but then continued to think.

"Oh, and also food." She finished after a moment of thought.

"She always does that!" Electra pouted and crossed her arms childishly. Itachi smirked slightly at her immature behavior.

"Well, there was the incident with her chakra…" Liz mumbled. The doctor stopped scribbling on his clipboard and looked up.

"Oh? What's wrong with her chakra?"

"Her chakra used to be solid but it returned to normal recently." Fugaku explained. The doctor blinked at Fugaku's words as if they were said in a completely foreign language.

"When you say solid…"

"Her chakra was solid. As if it didn't move or flow." The poor man just stared at Fugaku and stared some more when he realized that the chief of the infamous Uchihas was not joking. Then again, he never joked and if he did, this was not funny!

It took him a minute or two to recover. When he did, he nodded and placed his clipboard down. He walked towards Phil and Liz and finally met their eyes.

"Linan should be fine. This is actually quite normal."

"Freezing and then going unconscious while she's sweating is normal? Geez… if this is normal, what do you call not normal?" Electra mumbled as she sat down. Everyone was a bit more relaxed now that they knew An was fine.

"Well no. It's not her reaction that's normal but the fact that she is reacting."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Phil asked.

"You see, your daughter here has lived her whole life with this strange chakra and her body has made adaptations to survive. Now that her chakra has returned to normal, though, her body has to go through the process of adapting again. It's like... "

"It's like when we flew to Russia and when we got back we had a hard time sleeping because we were used to Russia's time." Electra intruded.

"Exactly… wait, what?"

"Russia?"

"You flew?" Sasuke yelled out. He was looking up at the ceiling with sparkly eyes. Electra widened her eyes and her mouth gaped open when she realized what she just said.

"Um… well." She could feel her heart begin to increase its pace and beat abnormally fast but Electra was more aware of all the eyes glued on her. Her mind raced desperately to find an excuse for her slight slip of the tongue that – unfortunately – did not go unnoticed.

_Damn it all! Stupid, useless brain!_

"Well, you see,"

"Never mind, the point is she'll return to normal in a few days. If all goes well, she may leave tomorrow." He explained after a long uncomfortable moment. Electra turned and stared at him with wide eyes. He tilted his head up slightly and winked knowingly. Releasing a lungful of air she was holding, she mentally thanked the doctor. He smirked and began to walk out. Before he did, his shoulders brushed hers for just a second.

"Russia's a beautiful place, isn't it?"

Electra froze and her eyes glazed over as she repeated what he said over and over in her head.

_He knows something… who in the world is he?_

* * *

><p>"How are you feeling?" Father asked as we walked out of the bland white room I was forced to stay in for the past 24 hours.<p>

"Fine." I glanced up and met his eyes. Ever since I was little, father demanded that I look at his eyes every time I spoke to him. I don't know why and I never asked. It's probably to check to see if I was lying. Ever since the first time I told a lie, father had told me over millions of times to look at his eyes when speaking to him. Now was no different. I had a strange feeling inside me that it's now mandatory rather than an option. After a moment, he nodded and that was my cue to tilt my head down.

"Where's everyone else?" I glanced up at him and waited for his response.

"Busy." Well, my small attempt towards a conversation obviously failed.

It was silent between the both of us when father's familiar chuckle smacked me out of my thoughts. It took me a while to realize he was laughing at me. My usual bored expression had unknowingly bunched up into a pout sometime during our silence. I smiled softly before giving in and laughing loudly with my father.

It's been a while since I've laughed with _my _father like nothing else in the world mattered. It felt really nice.

* * *

><p>After another day of recuperating, Electra and I were expected to resume our training. Electra was more than enthusiastic about the news, but I was hesitant to see Jun's taunting face again. Mother had taken the liberty to shop for anything that wasn't included with the house, which also meant everyone's clothes.<p>

I had just woken up early enough to actually see the sun begin to rise from my window. My eyes narrowed slightly at the new light that instantly lit up the whole sky. I turned away from the window and rubbed my eyes as I groggily crawled out of bed. Everything was still a little blurry and I blinked a couple of times hoping to get the sleep out of my eyes. I sighed and walked limply towards the bathroom and almost crashed into the sink. Luckily, my foot regained its senses at the last minute and I managed to stop my whole body from falling to the ground. Although the pain and the cool sensation of the tiled floors would most likely knock the daze out of me, there was also another chance of knocking the life out of me. The doctor had warned me to be careful. Although I have pretty much returned to normal, my immune system was still a little weak and so were my healing abilities. A simple cut may result to another trip to the hospital.

I wasn't aware of how long I was staring at myself in the mirror until a loud banging on the door caused me to jump.

"What's taking so long? Hurry up!" Electra screamed.

"Shut up! And be patient!" I shouted back. For a few seconds there was silence and I sighed in relief. Unfortunately, the silence didn't last long and soon more banging was heard. I sighed and quickly stripped before hopping into the tub.

By the time I got out of the bathroom, I was expecting Electra to glare at me, but I only found her sprawled out on the floor snoring. I stared at her blankly before nudging her softly with my foot. When nothing happened, I used more force. Apparently it was more than I thought because the next second, my sister hopped up looking like she was ready to kill. I quickly jumped back and ran back to my room, remembering to lock the door. I opened my closet and my face immediately dropped into one of shock and horror.

_What the hell is this? _

My closet was full of… I don't think I can even call some of them clothes. I didn't mind the excessive use of pink much, but some of them I found a bit _way _too scandalous. My eyebrows furrowed as I browsed through them.

_**Knock, knock**_

"Honey, what's taking so long?" Mother popped in and I turned to her. She stared wide eyed at my messy room that's now covered with all my clothes.

"What's this?" My voice came out harsher and more aggressive than I intended it to, but whatever.

"They're your clothes." Mother looked hurt but I knew better.

"What's wrong with them? I bought Electra the same thing and she seemed happy with her clothes." She continued. At those words, my jaw literally fell to the ground.

_Wait… what?_

"S-she didn't complain?"

"No, she loved them!" Electra had an even more picky taste in her clothing than me. For one, she wouldn't wear anything pink or purple. She loved short sleeves and hated tank tops. Not only that, but her color combinations can be _horrid_. My eyes swept over all my clothes again and imagined Electra wearing something similar to this. No image came to mind, I just couldn't picture it.

"Fine, I'll find something to wear." Mother smiled and nodded before walking out of my room. I sighed and randomly grabbed an outfit from the floor.

_I guess this would do._

* * *

><p>"Back so soon?" I sighed as I turned around and met the shoulder of Jun. I swallowed down the insults and threats itching to fly out. I glanced up just to see his smug grin. Why did he have to be a head taller than me?<p>

"I heard you got hurt. Did I go a little too hard on you last time?" I gritted my teeth when he spoke to me in a babyish tone.

"No, I just got tired of looking at you!" I retorted back. My short-lived victory vanished almost as quickly as the grin on my face. Jun glared at me before grinning sadistically. It seems his patience has run out.

"Fight me." I blinked slowly as I comprehended his words.

"…What?" I was completely unaware of Electra standing by my side staring at this whole situation unravel itself. If I saw, I would have seen the scared expression on her face and all the different signals she had been sending me.

"Fight me now." His voice sounded deadly and much more dangerous than anything I had expected. I stumbled backwards when I felt the wind shift just as Jun disappeared from his former spot in front of me.

"Way too slow." His voice whispered from behind me. The air was knocked out of me as I flew forward. I managed to lift my arms up to cover my head just as I crashed into one of Konoha's many trees.

Pain swept over me and I gasped at the new sensation. My fingers twitched as I picked myself back up. I saw another blur before I was knocked down again. I fell back down and winced when my back dug into some sharp rocks on the ground. My fingers reached back to feel if there was any major damage. Lucky for me, it didn't break skin. I groaned mentally.

_This is going to bruise!_

"Get back up." He ordered. I didn't even bother wasting my energy to glare. Instead, I got up without a word. I clutched onto the tree's branches tightly as I pulled myself back up. Before I could even stand straight, four kunai flew towards me. My eyes widened and I stood there frozen in shock.

_I'm going to die…_

I waited for the pain and the blood to fall but what I didn't expect was for the four kunai to suddenly fall to the ground. Even though my eyes were wide open, I don't think I saw anything. Everything was… blank and I couldn't understand it. This was going way too fast for me. I kept staring forward only to see Jun look just as shock.

He wasn't the one who saved me. The fear was stopping me from controlling my own body but somehow my head turned to look at the kunai on the ground. I expected four but saw five.

_What? I swore I counted four kunai flying towards me… unless…_

I turned back around to see Electra standing exactly where she was but in her hand was another kunai. Our eyes met and I stared at her. She stared back.

_**Clap**_

The clap brought me back into reality. Jun appeared in front of us and he had a wide smile in place. He was staring at Electra.

"That was very impressive. Show me that again." Electra looked at him and then glanced down at the kunai in her hand. She nodded wordlessly and threw it forward. I watched as it traveled almost faster than I can see and hit the middle of the tree Electra was staring intently at.

Jun was more than pleased.

"Very good. If you keep practicing, there's no telling what your talents would bring." A smile broke out and replaced Electra's blank face. Her face immediately softened and lightened up. I stood by the side and smiled softly at her newfound happiness. I watched as Jun began to place all of his attention on Electra. I felt like I was intruding something I didn't even understand.

Electra really does belong here, but I don't.


	9. Different is Good

"Electra is able to use lightning and water jutsu." I mentioned as I plopped down on the floor next to Gran. I peaked up to see her nodding as her busy eyes scanned the page of the ancient book in her hands.

"What about you?" I frowned at the dreaded question.

"I don't know." I mumbled dejectedly. She suddenly closed the book with a _snap _that echoed around the room and looked down at me.

"You don't know?" Her voice was skeptical but her eyes pleaded for me to explain.

"They have yet to find out what to do with my… 'special' chakra. The paper wouldn't accept my chakra and so far I can't perform any jutsu." I glanced out the window just as a cloud moved by to cover the sun. I shivered slightly when a sudden cold air flew in. The paper near the windows fluttered slightly but otherwise nothing changed.

"You sound gloomy." I rolled my eyes but smiled slightly in amusement. Although she couldn't see it due to the mask, she still smiled back.

"I'm not. So what I can't be a shinobi and I'm not exactly a normal civilian? I'm different. Different is good." My voice turned quiet at the end. It seems I was trying more to convince myself rather than Gran. Gran gave me a sympathetic glance and I returned it a little snobbishly. She let out an airy laugh and sniffed.

"Yes. Different is good."

* * *

><p>It was another sunny day in Konoha, something I very much enjoy. My family was adjusting into this new world much faster than I expected. Despite the fact they used to stare at a computer screen all day long, they seem to be fine living without it. On the other hand, I am so BORED! Electra spends the day training with <em>Jun –sensei<em>. My own sister has betrayed me to join the side of the enemy! According to her, '_he's a very nice man; did you offend him in some way?' _

I huffed just from that upsetting memory. Electra has formed this new respect for the man. I grimaced at the memory of me trying to be nice to him.

_"It's not my fault I suck so much!" _

_"How is it not? Electra got it right away!" I clenched my jaw tightly. Being compared to my sister… I never liked that. I never liked any sort of comparison. Why can't people just understand that everyone is different? This must be what Electra used to feel like when everyone compared her to me. _

_"I'm just not as amazing as her, I guess." Jun-sensei sighed and rubbed his forehead. He's been doing that so much lately that it now glistened under the sun._

_"Alright, let's try this again. This is a simple jutsu. First, you gather up your chakra, form the hand seals I taught you. Dog… boar… and ram. And… henge!" the infamous poof was heard and another me stared back at me. Jun smirked and another poof was heard. When the cloud of smoke dispersed, Jun returned looking like himself. _

_I took a deep breath and slowly breathed out. I did exactly what he did and pictured Electra. My eyes had closed due to habit and I only opened them when I heard the poof again. The first thing I saw was Jun's look of disappointment. That look itself was enough to tell me that it was another failed attempt of the transformation jutsu. _

"_How bad do I actually look?" Jun's scowl deepened and he reached into his pouch. My eyes narrowed. Clearly I haven't forgotten about the last fight we got into. I subconsciously rubbed the bruise on my back that still hasn't healed. I relaxed when he took out a mirror before staring at him strangely._

_Why would he carry around a mirror? I didn't expect him to be that vain._

_Jun, obviously seeing the look on my face, rolled his eyes._

_"It's not what you think. Sometimes we can't see something due to angles or walls. We use a mirror to help us see." I nodded at his words, suddenly remembering the episode when Guy forgot to bring a mirror and resulted in giving Jiraiya an unnecessary kick in the head._

_Jun threw me the mirror and I caught it. That was pretty much the only skill I had in this area – catching. That's so useful when someone's trying to kill you. I stared at myself in the mirror. It was smart of me to choose to transform into Electra since we looked alike, but it didn't help me in this case. I looked… wrong._

_My eyes turned out too narrow and catlike. My eyebrows were barely visible. It was just a thin line, as if someone took a pencil and drew it there. My nose looked like I was flaring and was crooked, also a bit too long. The only thing I got right was the hair and lips. Overall, it looked as if I had grabbed each part from random strangers and mashed it together._

_"It was better than last time's." I whispered. Jun narrowed his eyes and punched the tree right next to him. At first nothing happened but then the tree began to moan and creek. Next thing I knew, the whole tree – even the roots – fell down. _

_"Better? You have made NO improvements! You're a terrible student!" He screamed. I opened my mouth ready to retort back but quickly closed it. There was no point angering him any further and I guess there was… some truth to him words._

_"y-you're right. It's my fault. I didn't try hard enough." I gulped down and spat those words out unwillingly. My hands were behind my back and were clenched into tight fists. Jun was stunned and after a few blinks, he managed to regain his senses._

_"Yeah… I'm right. Of course I'm right! Since you admitted it, your punishment won't be that bad. I want you to clean my whole house and it better be done before I get back at 3."_

Well, I tried being nice and all I got was my face stuffed under Jun's smelly socks and my hair tangled up with spider webs. Not to mention the sneezing fit I got from all the dust.

Everyone else was busy too, though. Mother and father are busy building a reputation for themselves. I've heard that a lord or feudal of some sort has arrived in Konoha. Mother and father are with his family right now, talking about god knows what. Grandmother and grandfather are having a blast "sightseeing." Just yesterday they took up the whole day staring at Konoha's sidewalks! Then there's me, walking the streets and staring at the ground hoping to find anything that may capture my attention. After a few more minutes of walking around, I found something that did capture my attention. There was a crowd gathered around the middle of the streets. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously before pushing my way through the crowd. I stepped in front of a man who seemed ticked from being shoved away. I ignored his glares and leaned forward to see what was going on. There, in the middle of the small circle created stood a little blond boy with angry blue eyes and whiskers on the side of his face.

Uzumaki Naruto

It was then I started listening to everyone's conversations.

"It's –"

"Demon – "

"… The fourth was – "

"More trouble"

"Fox"

"Monster."

Naruto stood there and stared at everyone. His eyes glared at everyone. I saw it sweep over my face, as if he was trying to memorize everyone's face here. I clutched onto my mask and continued pushing forward. A few gave me strange looks and as I walked forward, my eyes met Naruto's. He looked up and I glanced down before grabbing his arm and pulling him forward with me. There was an even larger commotion now.

"Is that girl crazy?"

"Who is she?" On and on their mouths went without a rest. I walked swiftly without pausing and Naruto had to run in order to catch up to me. I realized I was still holding his arm tightly and quickly released it. I expected him to walk away now, but he continued to follow me. When we were far away from people, I began to slow down. We walked together in silence.

"Who are you?" I was startled by his sudden voice.

"Sima Linan." He nodded before a look of recognition came across his face.

"Oh yeah! You were in the academy for like a day!" I nodded in response and watched as his look of shock slowly turned to a large grin.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

"I know." Our conversation ended there and there was silence. Until…

"Why'd you pull me away from there?"

"You're telling me that you wanted to stay there where everyone was giving you hateful glares. Did you hear what they say?"

"Well, no. I didn't want to stay there, not that I didn't hear. But why?" I sighed at his stubbornness and determination. Kishimoto described Naruto perfectly.

"Because I felt like it."

"You felt like it?" Disbelief coated his every word.

"Yep, I felt like it." I glanced at Naruto when he was oddly silent. His arms were crossed and he was pouting.

"You have great potential."

"What?" He immediately looked up at me with confusion.

"You have a lot of potential. The other day when I was in the Academy, you screamed out that you were going to be Hokage someday. I believe you." By now, Naruto's eyes were sparkling with determination and unshed tears. I guess it's not every day someone tells him they believe in him.

"Do you really?" I smiled softly and nodded vigorously.

"No one else does." His voice was sad again. I sighed and brushed the hair out of my eyes.

"They will. Don't ever give up and one day everyone will acknowledge and respect you. One day they'll all believe in you."

"You sound so confident and sure."

"It's because I am."

"Then why does everyone hate me now?" I stopped walking and turned to look at little Naruto. I bend down until I was his height and stared at him. After a moment of thinking of the perfect words to say, I finally replied.

"It's because you're different so they don't know what to expect. You just have to be yourself and forgive everyone else because it's not their fault. They just don't understand."

"Don't understand what?" I stared straight ahead as I said these words that I desperately tried to believe myself.

"Different is good."


	10. Training Equals Success

I used to have no free time and begged to be alone for a short while. Now though, I'm always alone. It rained today. The sun was hidden behind the dark clouds that painted the whole sky. At one point I spotted out a small section of the blue sky, but that was soon covered by a thick gray cloud that rolled in. I had been walking around the village when it suddenly began pouring. The huge crowd began parting faster than I could say '_I need an umbrella!' _Not wanting to get a cold, I quickly moved under a shady tree. I hadn't realized I was near the training area until now. Trees were everywhere and blocked out most of the water.

I was never a big fan of rain but I loved the smell of it. It washed away all the smoke and pollution back home. Here, the rain had the same effect. At least the rain was still the same here. I sat down and leaned against the tree. I felt oddly at peace.

The rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon so why not train? This was actually the first time I even trained. I usually ignored this place since it was occupied by serious and powerful shinobi. Compared to them, I can't even call myself an academy student. The training I have with Jun is pretty much just torture and nothing else. He hated my guts. I couldn't go home to train either because my parents have been inviting all sorts of guests over. If they even saw me, Father and Mother would definitely mention the fact I was studying to be a shinobi. That would surely lead to a demonstration of my skills and me embarrassing me and my parents. No doubt mother and father would be angry and disappointed. Yep, not something I'm looking forward to.

The first thing I had to work on was my chakra control. It was below bad, even worse than really bad! I rolled my shoulders and then my neck; stretching my arms and legs a little before I sat cross-legged again. _Relax, _I chanted to myself like a mantra.

I could barely feel my chakra and began to doubt I had any at all. I quickly shook the thought out of my mind. If I didn't have chakra, then the whole interrogation and the episode of my strange reaction wouldn't have occurred. Life would have been so much easier. Remembering to concentrate, I focused on just finding my chakra. I had no idea what to do. For the first few minutes I was just sitting there with my eyes closed. There were a couple of times where I found myself dozing off and almost falling asleep. I had to pinch myself a few times to stop the wave of sudden exhaustion from affecting me. It was like searching for a nonexistent light at the end of a nonexistent tunnel. Where do I even begin?

So here I was, sitting under a tree in the middle of a storm trying to find my chakra that's _supposedly _inside me. So far my progress is about the same size as 0.0001% of the worm next to me's width. Yeah, that's pretty close to zero.

After seeking through nothing, I actually felt something running through me. It was very vague and almost nonexistent, but still there.

Okay, so I didn't _totally _fail. I was getting somewhere… in an extremely slow pace.

I pictured my chakra running through me, but with more life this time. I had learned that picturing it in your head usually helped. Nothing happened. Maybe I was wrong.

_Nothing… nothing… nothing…_

And suddenly it flared up. The concentration and focus I had held onto so tightly was all lost due to my surprise. I froze in fear. I didn't want all that hard work to just go down the drain. Luckily though, it didn't matter. I can actually feel it circulating through me and the warmth and power it brought me. Is this is what Electra felt after arriving here? Some sister, never telling me this.

Anyway, going back to chakra control. This was the perfect chance for me to practice walking up the tree. First, I had to prepare some safety precautions in case something really bad happened. There wasn't much out here except a few pieces of rope tied to several trees. Someone probably used these ropes for some other type of training. I climbed up several trees and gathered the ropes. They seemed to be strong and in good condition. I tied several of them on different branches of the tree I would be practicing on. That way if I fell, I could grab onto one of them.

The storm was more powerful now and some of the water managed to drip down despite the thick covers the tree provided. The water made it harder to walk up, but if I passed, then my chakra control would increase drastically. I swallowed down any doubts or fear I may have about falling and breaking my neck. My hands reached up and quickly formed the one hand seal I needed.

_Okay, move a sufficient amount of chakra to the soles of my feet and concentrate._

My hands untied themselves and fell down to my side. I placed my right foot onto the trunk and quickly pushed myself up. At first I ran up and barely made it a quarter ways before falling down. I was still pretty high so when I realized I was going to fall, I kicked myself away from the tree and reached out to grab one of the ropes hanging on the branch. I clutched tightly onto the rope as I swung around a few times and slowly lowered myself. When I was close enough to the ground, I jumped down.

_Not bad. I'm definitely making progress compared to last time, but still not good enough._

Again and again I tried. I was getting better after each try. Of course, there were times where I failed epically, but the number of times they occurred was diminishing. I'm determined to get to the top of the tree before this storm ended.

By the time I had reached halfway up the tree, I was tired and drenched. The higher I got up, the more water there was. Not wanting to fall all the way back down again, I slowly moved towards a branch a little higher than where I was standing. I grabbed onto the branch just before I lost the focus on my chakra. Using my remaining strength, I slowly pulled myself up and sat on the thick branch. A five minute break couldn't hurt. I glanced down and sighed. That was a _long _way down. If I fell now, there would be nothing to grab on to. I had run out of rope.

Curse myself. I just had to choose the tallest tree here to start my training. I couldn't back out now. I was so close to succeeding!

_So close yet so far…_

The wind seemed to whisper to me. I whipped my head around to see if it might have been someone but found nothing. Everything and everyone seemed to be messing with me.

I stared straight up to the sky and ignored the urge to shut them from the fat raindrops falling down. I wasn't sure how long the rain would continue to fall but I had to act fast. I had to get to the top before this damn storm just stop on me. Knowing my luck, it would probably end just a step away from me reaching the top. I could just imagine it… actually, I shouldn't. Why waste time thinking unnecessary things when I should just start moving. After all, time waits for no one.

I stood up once more and I was glad I decided to sit down for a moment. Even this small of a break did wonders. My legs no longer ached as much and the rest had restored my chakra – so much that it was nearly full. I hesitantly placed one leg on the trunk before I started walking straight again.

* * *

><p>I knew it. I totally jinxed myself. I just passed the last branch and was so closed to the top. Joy swept through me and I lost my concentration for a second before grasping it once more. But it was too late.<p>

That one second was enough for me to lose balance and begin to fall down. My hands reached out to grab something – anything –but there was nothing for me to grab. I winced slightly when I crashed through some of the smaller and weaker branches. I dared myself to look back and my eyes widened. I had to act quickly or I would crash straight into one of the thicker branches.

Somehow during my little panic session I had managed to turn myself around so my feet were now perpendicular to the ground. Even in this position a fall this high would still hurt though. I desperately gathered my chakra to the bottom of my feet and just as my heels came in contact with the branch, I launched myself back up again.

I wonder if this is what Superman feels when he jumps up to begin his flight. Flying up was a much better feeling than falling straight down. HUGE difference. My arms reached up and tightened around a small flimsy branch and swung myself to the trunk.

_Please god, I've been pretty good. I'm sorry I forgot to pray this week… and the last, but besides that I've been good! I promise I would never convert to Jashin even if it may seem tempting and cool. I will forever stay loyal! Just… don't let me die!_

I could still feel my chakra at the soles of my foot and when my foot touched the rough and uneven surface of the tree, it stuck! After wobbling for a few seconds, I dropped my arms and began my journey towards the top once again.

I was careful not to feel smug or jinx myself as I got closer and closer to the top. As the leaves and branches began to thin, I expected harsher weathers with strong winds and harder rain. Instead, I felt the winds begin to settle and the rain turn to a light drizzle.

_Crap! Why!_

I dropped all other thoughts and began running my way to the top. To hell with my leisurely walk and all my fear. My competitive side completely took over and all I cared about was getting to the top before the skies cleared.

I am proud to say I didn't die despite my rather rash behavior. Oh, and because of the fact I did it! Even though I was wet, exhausted, and shivering, that was the best I've felt since coming here to Konoha. The sad part was that I was unable to taste the sweet taste of victory or bask in my pride and glory. Right after I got to the top, a large sneezing fit attacked me. No matter how tough I act, I can never defeat the common cold.

_I probably look like I went through hell… _


	11. Just a Dream

_Ah-ah-ah-achoo!_

"What were you doing outside in the middle of a storm?!" I sniffled and rubbed my nose in frustration.

"I was out making out with a boy." I stared blankly at my mother and watched as her face contorted to an expression of astonishment. It took a moment before those words finally hit her.

"What?!" Oh crud, what did I just unleash to the poor defenseless world?!

"Who is he? Is it that boy with the crooked nose? I saw him staring at you! I knew it! He was bad news. Wait until your father gets home…"

"Why do you have to wait for me to get home?" I mentally stabbed myself right there. Why did I open my big sarcastic mouth! Mother looked absolutely horrified and furious. I'm pretty sure I had the same face when she told father what happened. To make matters worse, mother added a _few _details that couldn't be any farther from the truth. Almost immediately after she finished, they both snapped their heads to glare at me. I raised my hands up as an act to protect myself.

It didn't work.

"We trusted – "

"Did you do anything – "

"You're grounded for – "

"No, we'll unleash your grand – "

"You better still be a vir – "

"Let's meet this kid." I blinked once, then twice, and then again to make sure I heard right. Rubbing the spit off my face, I continued to stare at the two. They stared back. Then I burst out laughing until it sounded like I was crying and then finally I began coughing.

"This is not a laughing matter, young lady!"

"It is." Was what I was trying to say but it came out more like, "Ith iss!"

"I didn't meet any boy." Silence echoed the room for the next minute or two.

"So… is it a girl?" Cue the face palm.

"No! I was alone!" I screamed and quickly regretted it. Stupid sore throat…

I watched as my parents both sighed in relief before they stared at me suspiciously. Oh no, I know that look. I had to act quickly before they bombarded me with even more - and probably embarrassing – questions.

"Okay, I'm tired and my head hurts! Please escort yourself out the door and out of my room." They reluctantly walked out but not before giving me a suspicious look. This is why I hate being sick.

* * *

><p>I sighed and tossed around my bed for the umpteenth time. There was absolutely nothing to do and there was no one here to amuse me. The worst part is I'm not supposed to even leave this bed. Mother had made it <em>very <em>clear that if I were to disobey her orders, the consequences would be most horrifying. Having her following me around like a lost puppy for a week was not worth all the trouble.

I tried convincing her that I was fine and I no longer suffered from the cold. But _no_, apparently I looked worse than a zombie that's been run over by a truck. Thanks mom, you really boost my confident there!

I glanced out the window and pouted when I saw the perfect weather. How I yearn to just jump out my window right now and find something to do! I groaned when the thought became really tempting. No, I must not give into temptation. I flipped again so that my back was facing the window. I can't stare at it any longer. Just as I was about to close my eyes and hope to just sleep through the day, I saw an unfamiliar bag.

_How did it get in my room?_

Reaching over, I managed to brush its straps with my fingertips. I sat up and narrowed my eyes in frustration. I scooted closer to the bag before trying to grab it again. I smirked when my fingers curled around the strap and pulled it torward me. Without hesitation, I dumped the contents out onto my bed only to have books crash onto my lap. I hissed under my breath and rubbed my lap. Sorting through the contents, I realized that these were the books Gran had given me and I had completely neglected them. The day's still early. I picked up the nearest book – which also happened to be the thinnest book with only twenty-something pages – and began reading the first page.

"T-this is impossible." I muttered quietly to myself. I could feel my eyes widen to the point where it was going to bulge out as I read through the first few pages.

_Ever since humans existed, there has been some disappearing mysteriously. It started with one, then two, three, and so on. The number of humans that disappear cannot be predicted, though. There is no consistent number. This phenomenon occurs once every few years. On that day, the skies will tear open and an unlucky few will be sucked into another dimension. Some predicted that one day it will wipe out every single person on the planet. They called that day the Apocalypse. _

_Paris, France _

_The year is 2000 and little Benny was just walking home. School had been bad that day. His school demanded that he learned another language and he had been chosen to take Japanese. He detested that language and the worst part was the teacher detested him. Benny clutched onto the test he had just flunked and scowled ahead. He didn't stop walking. Not when some cute girls waved at him, or when the baker offered free samples, not even when his best friend tried to run up to him. He only stopped when he felt his blood drain and a strange ripping sound. He glanced around only to find everything normal. But then he glanced up. _

_That was the beginning of the end. Benny was no more._

_When he awoke, he was in a different place. Benny found himself with nothing. He stumbled into a village and when he begged for help, the only thing the villagers gave him was humiliation. On a good day, someone would throw him some change or he'll find some edible leftovers out of the dumpster. On a bad day, he would end up with nothing but a severe beating to the body and mind. _

_One day he met a girl. She was a ninja and belonged to a noble family. He ran up to her and begged for money. She smiled and gave him. The next day he saw her again, this time eating a sandwich. He ran up to her and begged for food. She smiled and gave him. The third day he ran up to her and begged for new clothes. She smiled and gave him. Day after day, he begged for something and she would give it to him. He was very happy and had everything he wanted. He was walking down the street when he bumped into someone. The man was very angry and punched him. Benny tried to fight back but the man was a ninja and easily defeated him. Later that day, he saw the girl again. This time he begged for power. She frowned and refused. It took him a while to understand what just happened and he was furious. He grabbed her and demanded her to tell him why. She didn't say anything but just walked away. Benny ran up to her and grabbed her arm again. He kept asking her why but she never replied. When his anger diminished and he finally let go of her arm, the girl collapse to the ground. She was dead. _

_That day Benny learned he had the gift to take._

_So that's what he did. He took and took and he never regretted his decision. Benny learned that the universe wasn't fair. The universe favored some and would give them everything while the others have nothing. The only way to get something you want is to take. His next target is a girl like him. Her name is Sima Linan. _

I snapped the book shut but didn't release my tight hold on it. No thoughts entered my mind and I couldn't think straight. So I didn't think. I reacted.

I hopped out of bed and ran out the door. I ran all the way to Gran's shop and flung the door open. Gran was busy speaking with another customer. She glanced up when the bell rang, indicating someone had walked in. She smiled at the sight of me but frowned when she saw my bewildered and frightened wide eyes. Excusing herself from the customer, she quickly walked towards me.

"What's wrong? You look sick."

"I sort of am, but that's not the point. The point is there's something wrong with this book!" I shoved the book to her face and panted. She took a step back and plied my fingers away from the book.

"What's wrong with the book?"

"It – " I paused and thought over what I was going to say. That the book is actually true? That I come from another world? That I'll probably be killed next?

"It… says my name on the last page." Gran raised an eyebrow and flipped to the last page. Her eyes scanned over the page and she nodded.

"That is strange. Your name's not very common, but it could just be a coincidence." I frowned at her response. I doubted it, but nodded anyway.

"So what did you think of the book?" Gran's eyes lighted up and she immediately sounded a lot more enthusiastic.

"It was very…" I searched for the right word.

"… interesting, but I wonder what happened to Benny." I finished.

"It's just a story." Gran replied a little too quickly.

"But what if it was real?"

"Well, if it was real, I would say Benny continued with his life and changed his identity." Gran smiled sweetly at me. She definitely knew something. Fine, then I'll play along.

"Oh? Then who is he now?" At this, Gran's lips twisted into a wicked smile. It was the complete opposite from the warm, empathetic old lady I knew. I watched in horror as her face became more and more wrinkled before it slowly melted away. Her cackle rang in my ears and I was vaguely aware of the suddenly empty store.

"G-gran?" Her laughter stopped and when our eyes met, I felt an intense hidden malice I had never witnessed before. Her skin was still piling on the ground and I was starting to wonder how much skin the old woman actually had. She was a petite and thin lady but already the pile was as tall as her. She reached up to her face and began to peal the skin away. Slowly, another face came into place. The new face was

"He's me." Jun! He grinned and I did the only thing I could do. I screamed.

My eyes snapped open and I jolted out of bed. I stared at the place in confusion. This was… my room. I glanced out the window and saw that it was still early.

It was all a dream.

I exhaled the air I was holding in. It was just a dream, only a dream. Just a dream, it meant nothing.

I was relieved.

I sighed and laid back down in bed but kept my eyes open. Even if I tried, I couldn't close them.

I'm scared. Scared because no matter how many times I try to convince myself it was just a dream, a part of me knew it wasn't.

If it wasn't just a dream, then what was it?


	12. Disappointment

"Congrats!"

"Wow! How'd you – "

"Sima-san, you must be proud of – " I shifted uncomfortably and pulled on my black skirt. Not that it mattered anyway, since everyone's attention was focused on my sister in the middle of the room. I stood by the corner, pulling my face into a smile every once in a while someone bothered to meet my eye when Electra was done speaking to them. Mother and father were literally glowing from their pride.

About a week ago, we were assigned our first mission. It was very simple, even I admit it. We were assigned to sort out the books at the library. Apparently, the librarian was busy reading books to little kids and there was a lack of volunteers. It really makes me sad that less and less kids these days spend time at the library. I was very content, as you can imagine. Surrounded by books and at the one place where Jun was not allowed to open his mouth and scold me in that obnoxiously whiny and loud tone of his without the fear of being shushed at.

Anyway, sorting the books out took about three hours. It was a rather relaxing day. I am proud to say that I survived my first "mission." At least, it was until we were walking home. Some idiot (I probably shouldn't be calling him that since he could beat me up) decided to rob a grocery store.

There we were, standing in the middle of the streets when suddenly, a man clutching onto a dirty brown sack that smelled like rotten potatoes ran out, shoving a few people out of the way. Almost immediately, the store owner ran out, out of breath, screaming,

"Somebody! Help! The thief stole all of my money!" It was like a scene pulled straight out of a movie. Several ninjas wearing the typical green jacket jumped in out of nowhere, each holding a kunai. The robber looked around frantically and grabbed a pregnant woman and her daughter of approximately four or five.

"Don't come any closer! I-if you do, the woman, her baby, and this kid dies!" By this time, there was a crowd around the robber and the hostages. It seemed that he realized he was trapped. He pulled out two knives and held one to the woman's neck and another towards the little girl. The little girl began to cry and a couple of the ninjas backed away slightly.

"You're surrounded! You can't escape. If you hand over the woman and her child, we promise Hokage-sama will give you a merciful punishment." The girl continued to cry and the woman was glancing between the robber, ninjas, and her daughter. It was a very intense moment. The robber appeared to consider his options and his grip on the knives loosened slightly.

That was when it happened. Some ninja threw his kunai towards the robber trying to knock the knives out of his hands. Instead, the robber moved with incredible speed and grabbed the kunais. His eyes hardened and his face was set in a scowl. He brought the knife closer to the hostages. So close, that a thin trickle of blood began to drip down their necks. The little girl at this point began bawling her eyes out.

"Shut it kid!" He ordered and brought the knife even closer. One ninja became desperate and ran towards him. Apparently, the robber had an accomplice who was jonin level. So while the chunin level shinobi (at best) began fighting the man, the robber threw the woman towards the crowd but grabbed the kid. He covered her mouth and threw her over his shoulders before running off.

When some of the ninjas tried to chase after him, they were blocked by the accomplice. That was when Electra, who stood calmly beside me watching the whole thing unravel, decided to act. She took out five kunais and suddenly leaped into the air. I watched as she flung them towards the swiftly escaping robber. Unfortunately, the accomplice saw this and took out his own kunais and knocked the kunais down. Electra expected this and just as the accomplice was turning towards us to eliminate the new threat, a scream pierced the air. Everyone's heads turned towards the robber who was now on the ground clutching his right knee. A couple of kunai were sticking out of his knee and back in an odd angle. Even the accomplice was shocked.

Electra disappeared from my side and appeared towards the accomplice and slashed across his abdomen with her kunai. The man fell down before he could even react.

Applause erupted around me and everyone rushed towards Electra. I blinked and slowly realized. Electra had used the first five kunais as a decoy while she somehow managed to throw kunais around the accomplice's back and towards the robber, but to do this, she had to somehow make a kunai go faster than the jonin-level accomplice can see and then change its trajectory so it would hit the robber. The move she pulled, I realized, was very similar to the shuriken jutsu of Itachi's.

* * *

><p>There were a few things I found suspicious about the situation. For one, why is it that no other ninjas intervened? After the first few chunin-level ninjas went down, they realized the man was at least jonin-level. So why, did no one went to go get back-up? Also, what are the chances of a ninja messing up and doing the stupidest thing one can possibly do when there are hostages involved? All of the ninjas present that day were chunin-level. It doesn't make sense that they would just run towards the enemy directly, especially when three innocent lives are involved. If it was a genin, perhaps, but there is no way a chunin would make such a big mistake.<p>

I sighed and reached up ready to run my fingers over my hair only to remember that mother had made me tie it up. I dropped my hands back to my sides dumbly. It's true, I am upset that Electra is receiving so much attention but what is killing me is the fact that I stood there did nothing. Like Electra, I saw the whole thing happen yet I felt no inclination to save those people. Maybe it's because I know I'm weak and that going into a situation like that would do nothing but make it worse. Or maybe, it's because I was scared. I can even say I was exhausted after my mission or that I didn't understand what was happening. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that I was the coward and Electra was the hero who jumped in to save the day.

"An!" My head snapped up towards the source of the sound. I hadn't even realized until now that my head was slowly lowering itself to the ground. Grandfather was greeting a few guests with his arm around Electra. He was the proudest person in this room, no doubt. It was no secret that his favorite was Electra. Back when she was in second grade, Electra had difficulty in school, especially homework. My parents were upset about her grades. It was him who exclaimed that Electra was destined for great things.

He looked at me and gestured for me to come forward. Placing the smile back on my face, I walked towards him. It was rather difficult trying to get through the crowd without elbowing people. They didn't even notice me. I stood in front of him, wondering what could be so important that he needed me to come forward.

"Can you get Electra a glass of water?" I stared blankly at him before nodding stiffly when he stared back expectantly.

"Remember! Ice!" Electra added. I tilted my head upward, indicating I heard and walked to the kitchen. Grabbing a cup, I grimaced when I noticed how dirty it was. Mother had taken out all the good cups and the only ones left in the kitchen are the old and dirty ones.

I washed it and filled it with water. Then, I reached into the freezer and grabbed two ice cubes. Picking up the cup, I was about to walk out when I realized the room was silent. Confused, I peeked out and noticed that everyone had sat down and was staring at the Hokage.

"As you all know, Electra has been involved in a recent robbery. She was very brave…" I sighed and placed the cup back onto the counter. I didn't exactly feel like walking out and have all the attention directed at me. It's really weird. I wanted attention but I also don't want it.

_God, An! Make up your mind!_

A round of applause brought me out of my thoughts. I peeked out and noticed Electra standing next to the Hokage.

"Sima Electra has passed our test and has proven that not only does she have courage, citizenship, intelligence, talent, but she also possesses the will of fire. I hereby promote her to chunin level." I watched as a wide smile swept across Electra's face and I couldn't help but smile. I have never saw her happier than she was now. Once again, everyone clapped and I joined in despite the fact no one heard me and I was in a separate room. It didn't matter; I can clap if I want to. I turned around to grab the cup ready to go out now. As I turned around, I noticed the Hokage meet my eye with a look I couldn't identify.

* * *

><p>I groaned as I plopped down onto my bed. Lying in bed after a long day is one of the best feelings ever. I stared up at the ceiling as I reviewed everything that happened today.<p>

"…_passed our test…"_

My eyebrows furrowed as I thought back to the hokage's words. When was there a…

I gasped. It makes sense now.

That robbery was a test, a test to see if Electra and I would jump in to help.

A test that Electra passed and I failed.

I finally realized that emotion the Hokage gave me. It was disappointment.


End file.
